The SmartFone Flick Fest (SF3) has announced the ten finalists for its screening on Friday August 26. What can audiences expect from the films?
Ali Crew and I have been overwhelmed and humbled by the extraordinary films that we had entered into SF3 this year. In regards to what audiences can expect at our Gala Finals, I say a night of some of the most amazing short films you will ever see, truly! Be prepared to laugh out loud, cry like a baby and be moved beyond words, and you will be blown away that films of this high calibre have all been shot on a smartphone.
How did you come to select the finalists?
The quality has just blown us away, and it was the toughest job and most stressful week picking just ten films for our official competition. There were just too many to pick, and so we are very excited to announce a new award, created for SF3 2016 in partnership with our major sponsor the Pocket Film Academy.
What can you tell us about this new catergory?
This award, the #FILMBREAKER Award, is in keeping with our ethos of making filmmaking affordable and accessible to all. We want to keep encouraging first-time filmmakers to enter SF3, and so this award is for a first-time filmmaker who shows the most promise.
Now that anyone can create a film with the device in their pocket, what makes a really successful short smartphone film?
This is something we get asked a lot, and Ali and I both agree that at the end of the day, a good film is all about the story. It’s as simple and as hard as that – find a good story and tell it in a simple, engaging or different way. Just make sure the story is a good one. We all have a story and there are stories everywhere – just look around and you will have a whole heap of stories to tell.
Do you ever anticipate a day when a full-length feature film could be made on a single smartphone?
Filmmakers are already making features on smartphones. Last year a film shot on the iPhone called Tangerine did the festival circuit and you can see it now on Netflix. And two of our Founders’ Flick Picks filmmakers, Conrad Mess and Luis Juarez, are both in production on their features shot entirely on smartphones. I believe Luis is even going to edit his on his phone. The revolution has started!
[SmartFone Film Fest photo: Conrad Mess behind the scenes on Time to Pay Off Debts]
SmartFone Flick Fest 2016 Gala Finals take placeFriday August 26 at Chauvel Cinema.
