Straight 8

Last updated

straight 8 is an independent filmmaking event founded in 1999 and based in the United Kingdom. [1] The name is derived from the medium and editing style used to create the short films. [2] Participants use Super 8 mm film (commonly referred to as Super 8), shooting and editing in-camera ("straight") on a single Super 8 cartridge. [3] [4]

An independent film, independent movie, indie film or indie movie, is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies. Independent films are sometimes distinguishable by their content and style and the way in which the filmmakers' personal artistic vision is realized. Usually, but not always, independent films are made with considerably lower budgets than major studio films.

United Kingdom Country in Europe

The United Kingdom, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland but more commonly known as the UK or Britain, is a sovereign country lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state‍—‌the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi), the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world. It is also the 22nd-most populous country, with an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

Contents

Annual Competition

Each year, filmmakers are invited to submit entries for the event. The competition is open to filmmakers from around the world. Films may be of any topic or theme, and filmmakers produce a separated soundtrack to accompany the film. Films may be a maximum of three minutes and twenty seconds, a limitation of the Super 8 medium. straight 8 judges evaluate the entries and the winners are screened at film events including the Raindance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. [5] [6]

Raindance Film Festival

Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates in major cities including London, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin and Brussels. The festival was established in 1992 by Elliot Grove to be the voice of British filmmaking and in 2013 was listed by Variety as one of the world’s top 50 'unmissable film festivals'. Raindance showcases features and shorts by filmmakers from around the world to an audience of film executives and buyers, journalists, film fans and filmmakers. In 2009 the Raindance Film Festival had approximately 6069 attendees, followed by 4694 in 2010. Their website claims 13,500 attendees in 2012 and 80,000 online followers.

Cannes Film Festival annual film festival held in Cannes, France

The Cannes Festival, until 2002 called the International Film Festival and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries from all around the world. Founded in 1946, the invitation-only festival is held annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. It is one of the "Big Three" alongside the Venice Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival.

Related Research Articles

Super 8 film Small film format by Kodak

Super 8mm film is a motion picture film format released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement over the older "Double" or "Regular" 8 mm home movie format.

Tropfest Australian short film festival

Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival. It has also become known as the world's first global film festival.

Slamdance Film Festival annual film festival held in Park City, USA

The Slamdance Film Festival is an annual film festival focused on emerging artists and low-budget independent films, created in 1995.

Jafar Panahi Iranian film director

Jafar Panahi is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and film editor, commonly associated with the Iranian New Wave film movement. After several years of making short films and working as an assistant director for fellow Iranian film-maker Abbas Kiarostami, Panahi achieved international recognition with his feature film debut, The White Balloon (1995). The film won the Caméra d'Or at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, the first major award won by an Iranian film at Cannes.

Guerrilla filmmaking refers to a form of independent filmmaking characterized by low budgets, skeleton crews, and simple props using whatever is available. Often scenes are shot quickly in real locations without any warning, and without obtaining filming permits.

Northwest Film Center cinematheque and film museum in Portland, Oregon, United States

The Northwest Film Center (NWFC) is a regional media arts resource and service organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States that was founded to encourage the study, appreciation, and utilization of film. The center provides a variety of film and video exhibition, education and information programs primarily directed to the residents of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

<i>U2 3D</i> 2008 3D concert film featuring rock band U2

U2 3D is a 2007 American-produced 3D concert film featuring rock band U2 performing during the Vertigo Tour in 2006. The film contains performances of 14 songs, including tracks from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), the album supported by the tour. The concert footage includes political and social statements made during the shows. It is the band's second feature film, following their 1988 rockumentary Rattle and Hum. Among several cinematic firsts, U2 3D was the first live-action digital 3D film.

<i>Playing Columbine</i> 2008 film

Playing Columbine is a 2008 American documentary film produced and edited by Danny Ledonne, an American independent filmmaker. The film follows the video game Super Columbine Massacre RPG! in which players experience the Columbine High School massacre through the eyes of the killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

The YoungCuts Film Festival is a Montreal-based international film festival, whose mandate is to advance the careers of young filmmakers. The Festival was created to identify and help talented young people begin their film and television careers by providing exposure and recognition of their works. The annual event selects the best 100 films submitted by filmmakers 25 years old and under for screening at the annual festival.

Prishtina International Film Festival annual film festival held in Pristina, Kosovo

The Prishtina International Film Festival, also known as the Pristina Film Festival and PriFilmFest, is a film festival held annually in Pristina, Kosovo, that screens prominent international cinema productions in the Balkan region and beyond, and draws attention to the Kosovar film industry. It was created after the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence. The first festival was held in 2009, and featured actress Vanessa Redgrave as the host. In 2015, the festival was cancelled due to a cut in funding by the Ministry of Culture of Kosovo. The 7th edition of the festival, which was scheduled to take place from 24 April to 1 May, was thus instead held in Tirana, Albania on 24 and 25 April and renamed to "PriFest in Exile".

2012 Cannes Film Festival

The 65th Cannes Film Festival was held from 16 to 27 May 2012. Italian film director Nanni Moretti was the President of the Jury for the main competition and British actor Tim Roth was the President of the Jury for the Un Certain Regard section. French actress Bérénice Bejo hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.

Andy Thompson (theatre professional) Canadian artist

Andy Thompson is a Canadian actor, theatre artist, filmmaker and teacher.

2013 Metro Manila Film Festival

The 39th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), presented by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), was held from 25 December 2013 to the first week of January 2014. During the festival, no foreign films are shown in Philippine theaters in order to showcase locally produced films. For this year, eight film entries were chosen by the MMDA to be showcased in the festival. Contrary to previous years, the Enteng Kabisote, Panday, and Shake, Rattle & Roll films were not presented for this year's festival.

The Austin Cinemaker Co-op was a nonprofit Super 8 film collective based in Austin, Texas. The organization was founded by Barna Kantor and Kris DeForest in 1996, and merged with the Center for Young Cinema to become the Austin School of Film in 2003. The organization provided Super 8 camera rentals and production training, regular Super 8 mini-festivals showcasing locally produced work, screening salons with visiting filmmakers, and other small-gauge film events for the Central Texas community. The organization embraced a grassroots, do-it-yourself ethos.

Zach King American filmmaker and internet personality

Zachary King is an American Vine star, filmmaker and YouTube personality based in Los Angeles. He is most known for his "magic vines" - six-second videos digitally edited to look as if he is doing magic. He calls his videos "digital sleight of hand". He began posting videos on YouTube in 2008 and in 2013 he started posting videos to Vine.

India Film Project

India Film Project is an annual content creation festival held in Mumbai, India. The festival features a flagship 50 Hour filmmaking challenge, where participants are given 50 hours to make a film after which a panel of judges select award winners. The competition has run each September since 2011 and is deemed as largest creative collaborative activity. Competitors form teams and are given a common theme to which they then write a script and shoot the films. They have a free choice of locations, equipment and actors. The teams are also responsible for post-production including editing and audio.

The Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) is an international film festival which takes place annually in York, UK, at the beginning of November. The festival is a celebration of independent short film from around the world, and an outlet for supporting and championing short filmmaking. The programme includes film screenings, industry masterclasses, hosted networking sessions and panel discussions. ASFF showcases over 300 international films from emerging and established filmmakers in various venues across the city of York. Hosted by Aesthetica, the festival is supported by York St John University, the City of York Council and the British Film Institute.

During its closing ceremony, the Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) issues awards among the following to the best films, filmmakers and actors in the competition. These awards may or may not be issued every year.

Crazy8s

Crazy8s is a filmmaking competition and festival held annually in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It provides funding and support to local filmmakers to shoot and edit a short film in eight days. It has been called one of the best platforms for emerging filmmakers in Vancouver and has produced over 100 short films.

48FILM Project is an international short film festival and online competition founded in 2009. The competition is open from January to November each year. Professional and amateur filmmakers worldwide are given 48 hours to write, film, edit, produce and upload a short 4-7 minute movie. The competitors' works are judged by a jury of renowned film personalities, and the films of 15 finalists are screened at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) in Los Angeles, where the grand winner receives the prize of $100,000. More than 75,000 filmmakers from 130 countries actively participated in the festival by 2016.

References

  1. Merin, Jennifer. "The 'straight 8' Competition for Documentary Filmmakers". About.com. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  2. "Straight shooting". Total Film. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  3. "SHORT CUTS: STRAIGHT 8". Electric Sheep. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  4. Williams, Lisa. "SHORT CUTS: STRAIGHT 8". Electric Sheep Magazine. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  5. Oatts, Joanne. "Five News airs 'Straight 8' reporting". Digital Spy. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  6. Pulver, Andrew. "Straight 8". Guardian. Retrieved 8 December 2013.