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For every film, there is a festival! Perhaps there's one coming up for you. Below are some of the latest announcements we've received:

Call For Entries SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL 2008 A Shortcut to Cannes Submit Your Film Now www.shortsfilmfestival.com Final Submission Deadline: 15 August 2008 With only a few weeks to go until the final submission deadline for the 2008 Shorts Film Festival, filmmakers are urged to get their entries in for a chance to win the coveted first prize trip to Cannes Film Festival. Founded by acclaimed Australian producer David Lightfoot, Shorts offers its filmmakers one of the country’s most lucrative and largest prize pools including a coveted first prize trip to Cannes Film Festival as well as a number of other industry significant prizes. Selected works from the 2008 Shorts Film Festival will also be showcased at the prestigious Rushes Soho Shorts Festival (www.sohoshorts.com) in the UK in 2009, providing levered international exposure for those filmmakers. Shorts entries are judged on the basis of outstanding storytelling within 20 minutes or less by up to 50 respected practitioners across the film and media industries. In 2008, Shorts Film Festival will be held at the historic Queen’s Theatre in Adelaide’s West End, November 26-30. DOWNLOAD AN ENTRY FORM NOW TO SUBMIT YOUR SHORT FILM
Call For Entries The Shoot Out 24-Hour Filmmaking Festival 10th Aniversary Newcastle 11th – 13th July 2008 It has been 10 years since The Shoot Out first seduced brave film fanatics to the Hunter region for the world’s first independent 24-hour filmmaking festival. Since then The Shoot Out has watched more than 10,000 contestants take the challenge. Some have triumphed, others have flopped in spectacular fashion, but all have contributed immeasurable cinema buzz and fun to Australia’s film landscape. In 2008, to celebrate a decade of the festival that has become a worldwide success story, filmmakers will again be dared to take on the ultimate 24-hour filmmaking challenge. Their task - make a film less than 7 minutes long in just 24 hours without editing. Filming begins Friday, July 11, at 9pm, when contestants will be given a list of items they must include in their film. They have until 9pm Saturday, July 12, to submit their masterpiece. After a feverish 24 hours films will be judged with the top 10 revealed, along with some very special surprises, on Sunday night (July 13) at Newcastle Panthers. Who can enter? Anyone who can beg, borrow or steal (The Shoot Out doesn’t condone stealing) a video camera. What’s it worth? A stack of fun, a sleepless night and prizes worth a whopping $20,000! 24 hours to make 7 minutes count. For details on entry and registration visit www.theshootout.info
Call For Entries Media Release: Tuesday 11 March 2008 Entries for the 2008 Show Me Shorts Film Festival are now open. The deadline this year is Monday 7 July. The Show Me Shorts Film Festival screens a selection of Kiwi and Australian short films at cities nationwide every November. Show Me Shorts is seeking films between three and thirty minutes long, made within the last three years. All genres are accepted so long as the film has a strong New Zealand or Australian component (i.e. be made in NZ/Oz or have NZ/Oz key creatives). This is a competitive festival with awards for Best Film, Best Student Film, Atlab Best Technical Contribution and Panavision Special Jury Prize. Last year’s Best Film winners were Kiwis Jeff and Phill Simmonds for their animated short film ‘A Very Nice Honeymoon’. This film was based on the true story of the filmmakers' great grandparents Mariano & Elizabeth Vella who were on the steamer SS Wairarapa when it was wrecked on the coast of Great Barrier Island in 1893. In 2006 the Best Film award went to Australian Janine Barnes for her heart warming comedy ‘Ray’, about a little kid stranded, growing up in a country town he hates and the only interesting stuff happens to Ray, a guy the whole town dismisses as crazy. Festival Director Gina Dellabarca says, “Films that have their premiere at the festival and those with higher production values will be given preference, but we’re also looking for student short films.” This is the third year for the Show Me Shorts Film Festival, and the circuit this year will include some smaller regional cinemas as well as a full week in each of the four main cities. All films will be shown in all locations, and the selected films will be announced in September. Full entry details can be found at www.showmeshorts.co.nz.
Call For Films Media release - 31 October 2007 DIY TV on Aurora Community Channel Aurora Community Channel is offering all Australians their 15 minutes of fame. If you have material in mini DV format that is suitable for broadcast, Aurora Community Channel will put it to air this summer. “Whether it’s a home movie made 20 years ago or a short film made for a 2007 school assignment, if it’s fit for broadcast and contributors sign a standard program supply agreement, we’ll screen it,” Aurora’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Fiona Cameron, said. “It could be a chat between friends, backyard cricket or suburban drama. Think YouTube on national television,” she said. The summer programming initiative is called DIY TV and contributions will be accepted until Friday December 14 for broadcast from January 1, 2008. Aurora Community Channel is broadcast on Foxtel, Austar and Optus on channel 183 and is available on the basic tier at no extra cost. As a not for profit independent channel, Aurora broadcasts original Australian programs showcasing the work of independent and community program makers. “Aurora’s DIY TV project provides all Australians with an extraordinary opportunity to showcase their wares to a national audience. We’re asking the community to program their own television station over summer,” Ms Cameron said. “Brag about it to your friends, get talent scouts watching or phone in a Hollywood favour, but don’t miss the chance to have your 15 minutes of fame. Our parameters are pretty wide – as long as you want, about whatever you want and with whomever you want,” she said. For full details of how to submit programs log on to www.aurora.tv Aurora provides programs that not only inform and entertain, but inspire action on the causes, issues and interests that matter. Each month, Aurora highlights different causes within the community, raising awareness through dedicated programming.
Call For Entries HEART OF GOLD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Entry open now:- enter early and save money. Earlybird Deadline: March. Regular: May. Late: June www.heartofgold.com.au The Heart of Gold International Film Festival showcases well-crafted films that feed us with their thought-provoking, uplifting or simply funny take on life. When a film nourishes us, it sends us back into life smiling. What more can we ask? We are seeking films that make a positive contribution to the world. More than just well made, the winning films will be nourishing and life affirming, entertaining, uplifting and heartwarming. They may be hilarious or whimsical, may explore the human journey in a hopeful manner or be thought provoking films that engage us in personal change. They will be well crafted stories with positive, inspirational themes and there will be an area of special focus for films that suit families and children. IN 2006 we gave away over $20,000 in prizes and $12,500 of that was Cash! 123 Films screened over 4 days to an enthusiastic audience of over 3,000. The buzz interest in this festival was so wide that AUSTRALIAN STORY came and did an episode about it, to view this click on the FULL PROGRAM and see the inspirational story behind the festival. abc.net.au/austory/specials/lettherebelight/default.htm This year MARGARET POMERANZ will chair our jury. please feel free to contact us at info@heartofgold.com.au if you have any questions.