FILMINUTE, THE INTERNATIONAL ONE-MINUTE FILM FESTIVAL
Filminute names Paul Haggis, Francisco Goldman, David Kennedy, Andrea Dittgen and Taketo Oguchi to 2008 jury
LONDON, UK, July 8, 2008 – The jury for this year’s edition of Filminute was announced today by Festival founders and executive directors, John Ketchum and Sabaa Quao. The third annual edition of Filminute, the international festival that showcases, awards and promotes the best one-minute films from around the world, runs September 1 through 30, 2008.
Academy Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby); David Kennedy, co-founder of the Wieden + Kennedy advertising agency; Dr. Andrea Dittgen, editor of the German daily, Die Rheinpfalz, and board member of FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics); award-winning novelist and journalist, Francisco Goldman (The Long Night of the White Chickens, The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?); Taketo Oguchi, editor-in-chief and publisher of Japan’s SHIFT magazine; and Filminute principals Ketchum and Quao will adjudicate this year’s selection of one-minute films.
As Head of Jury, Ketchum says “We’re absolutely thrilled with the calibre, diversity and geographic spread of this year’s Filminute jury. Filmmakers from around the world will be encouraged to know that this year’s films will be judged by screen and fiction writing heavyweights Paul Haggis and Francisco Goldman as well as by the experienced, critical eye of FIPRESCI’s Andrea Dittgen. David Kennedy and Taketo Oguchi’s jury presence highlights the importance of the growing community of filmmakers submitting films to Filminute, hailing from a wide variety of creative disciplines.
“A jury like this will strengthen the world’s understanding of what makes a great one-minute film and provide an excellent comparison and contrast to the selection of the People’s Choice award by the voting public.”
Filminute is accepting entries until August 20, 2008. Throughout the month of September, festival-goers around the globe will screen, rate and vote on this year’s selection of 25 one-minute films at www.filminute.com, via mobile, on television and at public? screening installations in London, Bucharest, and Toronto. In addition to the “Best Filminute” jury prize and commendations, the public is invited to vote for its Festival favorite and selects the “People’s Choice” winner. The Filminute awards are announced in October.
2007 was a banner year for Filminute, with an audience from more than 90 countries enjoying over two million individual screenings of one-minute films. Ketchum says, “Filminute is designed to work across multiple media and to inspire filmmakers worldwide. Filminute 2008's expansion to television, combined with the festival’s sustained international momentum, will make this year's festival the biggest and best yet.”
Filminute is truly an international event. Founded by Quao and Ketchum, both Canadians living abroad, the event has been decentralized since its inception. Filminute’s head office is in London, UK, where Quao is based, while planning and operations, led by Ketchum, are centred in Bucharest, Romania. In Canada, television production and publicity activities are managed out of Vancouver, and web development and design are spearheaded in Toronto.
Quao explains Filminute’s international scope and growth: “We secured what the Festival needed based on where we had built the best relationships. In Vancouver, we benefit from West Coast industry access. London relationships bring investment weight and are the hub of our business development activities. The software being used to create a unique broadcast and broadband presentation for Filminute is developed in Oxford and Helsinki.
“The best stories, the best films and our most passionate audiences could come from anywhere,” says Quao. “With submissions from over 45 countries last year, we’ve proven our point. The Best Filminute winner in 2007 was from Bulgaria, and this didn’t faze our audiences in any way. Last year’s winner generated votes across the board and this confirms Filminute’s belief that we can and will continue to upend assumptions on where the greatest one-minute films come from. Russia, Romania, Finland, India, Argentina, Canada and the UK have all produced films that audiences everywhere raved about on Filminute.”
Filminute has also developed a number of unique relationships with an array of international corporations and organizations. This year, adbeast Inc., a leading provider of online digital asset management and collaboration tools, is expanding its involvement with Filminute. Once again, in conjunction with Filminute, Friends of the Earth is promoting a One-Minute Film Competition for films with environmental themes. In the UK, the flagship Selfridges department store in London will host Filminute’s interactive screening and media presentation space at the Wonder Wall. In Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum’s Institute for Contemporary Culture will also program a live Filminute event supported by a discussion around the impact and relevance of one-minute films.
Filminute is also producing a television broadcast property that will be presented internationally via broadband and conventional broadcast partners. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Filminute is currently accepting entries. To be eligible for Filminute, films must be broadcast-quality and exactly 60 seconds in total running time, including titles and credits. Submissions for the 2008 edition will be accepted until midnight (PST), August 20, 2008. Films selected for Filminute will be available for viewing at www.filminute.com beginning September 1.
More information and full details are available at www.filminute.com. Over 20 foreign-language translations of Filminute’s call for entries are available at http://www.filminute.com/2008/translations.php
