The better, tastier, shinier version of the Port Shorts Film Festival is more accessible with the time limit for the $5000 major prize extended from seven minutes to 10 minutes and a new Port Shorts Music Video Awards category introduced.
Champion Aussie actor Stephen Curry, Wolf Creek Executive Producer Matt Hearn and Australian Film Industry Award-nominated screenwriter Kier Shorey will keep it real for the third year as Ambassadors and Judges celebrating local, youth, national and international filmmaking talent.
The Port Shorts Young Filmmaker Awards and the inaugural Port Shorts Music Video Awards will feature on the big screen at the Port Shorts Film Festival on Friday October 27, with the Port Shorts Local Filmmaker Awards and the Port Shorts Open Filmmaker Awards to be showcased on Saturday October 28.
“Port Shorts has already been kicking arse as a film festival, we’re having a lot of fun and showing some awesome short films and with the extension of the time limit for filmmakers we’re opening it up to new stories,” Curry said.
“Make us laugh, make us cry, you lose points if we stick a steak knife in our eye but you’ve got up to 10 minutes to press our buttons so make the most of it. We don’t care how you do it, just give it a crack and make us feel.
“Launching the Port Shorts Music Video Awards is also pretty cool, many a feature filmmaker has earned their break making clever and creative music videos and we want to see what’s out there in that space.”
For the first time since the Port Shorts Film Festival originated more than 15 years ago, the theme for the Local Filmmakers category has been scrapped so filmmakers from Cairns to Cooktown can tell any story they want any way they wish in four miniutes.
“While we’ve farewelled the local theme to make the festival more accessible to local filmmakers, I will personally be giving the short films that mention my name at least 200 times and portray me at least 20 per cent more intelligent than I could ever hope to be a slight weighting in the judging process,” Curry said.
“I can’t speak for fellow judge Matt Hearn, except to say I’ve known him in the past to look more favourably on filmmakers who come with a free delivery of party pies and Kier Shorey apprently has a weakness for clever anecdotes that he can frame on the office wall.
“Regardless of your approach, just get your film in, show us what you’ve got and let’s see if we can help you reach the next level of your filmmaking potential.”
Port Shorts Film Festival Director Ali George said there were a few more exciting announcements in the pipeline for the 2017 festival and building on the success of the mentor program that saw three Port Shorts members working as interns on the set of a new show from funny guys Hamish & Andy recently is likely to work out well for local filmmakers and film and TV producers.
“Our first experience of getting Port Shorts members on set worked great not just for them being able to upskill local filmmakers and give them that opportunity but the producers were delighted to have local filmmakers on set as they really got to contribute and get their hands dirty,” Ali said.
“There’s going to be more of those opportunities coming up for our Port Shorts members and we’re also hoping to announce the details of a very exciting workshop program next month with some very special guests.”
To enter the Port Shorts Film Festival or for more details go to www.portshorts.com or www.fillmfreeway.com. MEDIA CONTACT – festival director ALISON GEORGE 0427 254 228