Filminute

Mini press releases

2011-10-07T22:36:00.003+01:00

#SPAIN #NETHERLANDS AND #AUSTRALIA TAKE TOP AWARDS @FILMINUTE 2011

2011-10-06T19:24:00.002+01:00

Narrativeloops and stunningly powerful performances inspire the winning films atFilminute, the international one-minute film festival.

http://j.mp/qSRDio

http://j.mp/r4XhQx

http://j.mp/qtoXMG

TORONTO/BUCHAREST/LONDON, 6October 2011 – After a month of online screenings, Filminute 2011 announced theaward winners for this year’s film festival. LOOP, a smart and skillfully directed film by Spain’sAritz Moreno, has been awarded BEST FILMINUTE honours by the seven-member international jury. Thefilm’s unique ability to reproduce itself and play with time while remaininghighly entertaining wowed the jury and the audience. This film also marks Spain‘sfirst big win at Filminute.

The online festivalaudience, each responsible for one vote and representing 132 countries, selectedthe film OBLIVION for the People'sChoice Award. OBLIVION, a film from the Netherlands, narrowly beat out filmsfrom South Africa and Australia in a record year for online engagement andvoting at the festival.

The top-rated film was NOMAN’S LAND, which features abrilliant and jarring performance by Australian actor Mirko Grillini. The filmaveraged a 5-star rating — a first for any film in the festival’s history.

The San Sebastián–baseddirector of LOOP, Aritz Moreno, presentsfilm fans with a protagonist that is both dead and alive at the same time.Beautiful camera work and editing come together with a story that serves up apoignant commentary on time and routine. The many subtleties in direction and thestellar sound design also contribute to a film that one juror summed up as“begging to be watched over and over and over.”

John Ketchum, Filminute’sco-founder and head of jury, commented about LOOP, “In a year brimming with powerful, masterfully madefilms, LOOP still managed to stand out as the favourite — a testament to itsoriginality, subtlety and the way it rewards the viewer.” The film alsofeatures one of the most visceral moments of any film in the collection.Interestingly, a glance through the festival’s very active and informativeFacebook page shows a great number of other filmmakers themselves awed by whatMoreno was able to accomplish in this film.

OBLIVION won the People’s Choice award by generating a baseof fans from both near and far beyond the Netherlands. Director Shariff Nasrraises our attention to issues around patient care, aging, and Alzheimer’s inhis film. Dutch actor Raymond Thiry’s performance is as touching as it isharrowing, as the film’s protagonist struggles to comprehend where he is andwhat is happening to him.

“Marko Grillini (NO MAN’SLAND) and Raymond Thiry (OBLIVION) highlight what we have always believed possible ina one-minute film. They delivered memorable performances that stick with youlong beyond the 60-second constraint of the film,” says festival co-founder and head of jury John Ketchum. We know of several directors this yearwho patiently sought out the best actors they could find and the results areclearly stunning.”

The Filminute 2011 juryawarded commendations to five films, ranked in the following order:

REVERIE (Belgium) Directed by Jaro Minne

Innocenceand love shine through in this film. The child actors draw the audience intothe dream of a united humanity and we are startled by the outcome.

OBLIVION (Netherlands) Directed by Shariff Nasr

Apowerful and masterfully directed film that touches on how we might feel to beisolated, abandoned, and powerless. This film generated more reactions andratings than many other films combined.

HAMBURGZ (USA) Directed by Jordan Schmelzer

Thisis a delightful heist film that references the photo-montage technique madefamous by Chris Marker’s 1962 film La Jetée. Such stylish and cool drama — over a hamburger.

NOMAN’S LAND (Australia) Directed by DominicJackson Chambers

Weare treated to a spare, mesmerizing, and shocking performance in this film. Ifthere were a Best Actor prize to be awarded at Filminute 2011, Australian actorMirko Grillini would surely be in the running.

DOTIN THE LINE (Pakistan) Directed by BasirMahmood

Partcontemporary art, part philosophical exposition, the director takes theaudience for a dramatic and surprising run before landing us in the middle of avery familiar story.

This year’s award winnerswere selected from a lineup of 25 films from 18 countries, ranging fromArgentina to India to the USA. The shortlist of 25 was narrowed from a field ofmore than 2000 film and animation screenings and submissions. The range ofcountries participating and stories presented affirm Filminute’s dedication tolevelling the playing field in film. Indeed, no country has a monopoly on greatstories. Many of these films immediately inspire an immediate second and thirdviewing.

27 Sept 2011 coverage by WIRED.com

2011-09-27T22:37:00.001+01:00

Filminute Festival Celebrates One-Minute Movies From All Over the World

http://j.mp/rruJ99 (Wired.com)
Posted by @hughhart and @theunderwire

Recent Press Releases

2011-09-25T09:18:00.002+01:00

For full details and experience of Filminute, please visit the festival site at http://j.mp/qqDWg

Rate this film!

2011-09-21T01:23:00.001+01:00

Watch and rate the films, then voting for your favourite one at

www.filminute.com

REPRISE ★ The Weekend Guide to Filminute 2011 ★

2011-09-19T02:04:00.000+01:00

★

Number of one-minute film premieres on the Filminute 2011 shortlist

- 16 -

http://j.mp/qqDWg

★

Number of films currently rated ★★★★ stars or better at Filminute 2011

- 16 -

★

Number of "Buddy Girl" flicks on the Filminute 2011 shortlist

- 3 -

★

Top 5 countries by volume of submissions to Filminute 2011

- #India #USA #UK #Romania #Canada -

★

Number of films on this year's shortlist that deal with the concept of #death

- 10 -

★

Country making its mark at Filminute 2011

- Spain (2 films this year; only 1 from past 5 editions) -

★

The only continent not represented at Filminute 2011

- Antarctica -

★

http://j.mp/qqDWg

@ArjunBasu comments on REVERIE

2011-09-14T19:30:00.000+01:00

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You are invited to experience the full film festival at Filminute.com. Rate the 25 one-minute films from 18 countries; vote for your favourite one.

Commentary/review by Arjun Basu, @arjunbasu, Montreal

Author, writer, editor, Shorty Award winner (though I'm not that short), foodie, husband, dad. Creating Twisters, 140-character short stories.

@ArjunBasu comments on LEVEL 13

2011-09-14T19:00:00.000+01:00

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You are invited to experience the full film festival at Filminute.com.

Rate the 25 one-minute films from 18 countries; vote for your favourite one.

Commentary/review by Arjun Basu, @arjunbasu, Montreal

Author, writer, editor, Shorty Award winner (though I'm not that short), foodie, husband, dad. Creating Twisters, 140-character short stories.

@ArjunBasu comments on THE DAYS BEFORE THAT

2011-09-14T18:40:00.001+01:00

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You are invited to experience the full film festival at Filminute.com.

Rate the 25 one-minute films from 18 countries; vote for your favourite one.

Commentary/review by Arjun Basu, @arjunbasu, Montreal

Author, writer, editor, Shorty Award winner (though I'm not that short), foodie, husband, dad. Creating Twisters, 140-character short stories.

@ArjunBasu comments on HAMBURGZ

2011-09-14T18:11:00.000+01:00

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You are invited to experience the full film festival at Filminute.com.

Rate the 25 one-minute films from 18 countries; vote for your favourite one.

Commentary/review by Arjun Basu, @arjunbasu, Montreal

Author, writer, editor, Shorty Award winner (though I'm not that short), foodie, husband, dad. Creating Twisters, 140-character short stories.

@ArjunBasu comments on LOOP

2011-09-14T15:25:00.000+01:00

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You are invited to experience the full film festival at Filminute.com.

Rate the 25 one-minute films from 18 countries; vote for your favourite one.

Commentary/review by Arjun Basu, @arjunbasu, Montreal

Author, writer, editor, Shorty Award winner (though I'm not that short), foodie, husband, dad. Creating Twisters, 140-character short stories.

Will the Filminute Jury agree with the People?

2011-09-14T04:18:00.005+01:00

Visit filminute.com to rate all 25 one-minute films

2011-09-13T23:28:00.001+01:00

Check out MUBI Garage's PRODUCTION NOTES Series

How many stars?

2011-09-06T06:06:00.004+01:00

¿ ★—OR—★★—OR—★★★—OR—★★★★—OR—★★★★★ ?

▲

RATE EACH FILM BEFORE YOU VOTE

▼

http://j.mp/qqDWg

Filminute 2011 fast starters

2011-09-06T00:17:00.000+01:00

RANK BY VOLUME OF TRAFFIC PER COUNTRY

FOR THE FIRST 5 DAYS OF FILMINUTE 2011

1. USA 2. South Africa 3. Spain 4. Netherlands 5. Australia
6. Colombia 7. United Kingdom 8. Canada 9. Romania 10. Pakistan

A lot will change as momentum builds around different films. Also, some countries just love one minute films to the point where we've seen countries with no films on the shortlist drive volume around a favourite film.

For instance, here are the countries with populations spending the MOST time on the festival site. Uganda tops the list just shy of 18 minutes average time on the site, and tapering down to the Philippines at 10 minutes average.

1. Uganda 2. Greece 3. France 4. Guatemala 5. Bangladesh
6. Sri Lanka 7. Macedonia 8. Italy 9. India 10. Philippines

This certainly might change the outcome and make the race even more interesting. Between the quality of the competing films, and the national and international following generated by each film, the outcome of the People's Choice Award is almost impossible to predict.

If you care to make a prediction of the outcome, we would welcome your post on that subject on our page at Facebook.com/filminute

Launch Press Release

2011-09-01T13:58:00.001+01:00

WELCOME TO FILMINUTE 2011

2011-09-01T12:00:00.004+01:00

THE FILMINUTE 2011 SHORTLIST

Congratulations to the makers of the following 25 films

ADVENTURE GIRLS III
DIRECTOR: Jon Deitcher

Canada

AFTERMATHEMATICS
DIRECTOR: Olivia Caciuleanu

Romania

AT THE OPERA
DIRECTOR: Juan Pablo Zaramella

Argentina

BUNNY VS. THE SWEET IRON CAT
DIRECTOR: Joker_L.K

China

CARA O SELLO
DIRECTOR: Manuel Velásquez Isaza

Colombia

CHIT CHAT
DIRECTOR: Piet Sonck

Belgium

DANS L’OMBRE
DIRECTOR: Fabrice Mathieu

France

DOT IN THE LINE

DIRECTOR: Basir Mahmood

Pakistan

EVIL WEED

DIRECTOR: Nick Black

United Kingdom

FAMILY PORTRAIT

DIRECTOR: Andrei Staruiala

United Kingdom

FOOLPROOF

DIRECTOR: Christopher Wadsworth

Canada

GARBAGE

DIRECTORS: Danijel Kovacevic / Hrvoje Stipkovic

Croatia

GRASSY KNOLL EDGE

DIRECTOR: Yasuyuki Kubota

Japan

HAMBURGZ

DIRECTOR: Jordan Schmelzer

USA

HONFOGLALÁS

DIRECTOR: Kristof Deak

Hungary

LEVEL 13

DIRECTOR: Federico Forcolini

United Kingdom

LOOP

DIRECTOR: Aritz Moreno

Spain

MASKS AND MIRRORS

DIRECTOR: George Mangalath Thomas

India

NAUFRAGO

DIRECTORS: Javier Meler / Djazia Centelles

Spain

NEVER THOUGHT

DIRECTOR: Erik Scanlon

USA

NO MAN'S LAND

DIRECTOR: Dominic Chambers

Australia

OBLIVION

DIRECTOR: Shariff Nasr

Netherlands

REVERIE

DIRECTOR: Jaro Minne

Belgium

THE DAYS BEFORE THAT

DIRECTOR: Steve Baker

Australia

THE FALLEN

DIRECTOR: Bauke Brouwer

South Africa

VIEW, RATE, COMMENT and VOTE!
www.filminute.com

emails alerting shortlisted filmmakers

2011-08-26T05:08:00.000+01:00

We started alerting filmmakers today, about 20 of the 25 films are confirmed. The 5 spots still to be decided will come out of 7 or 8 films jockeying for the final spots. On some we are waiting for a final edit, on others we just haven't heard back from the filmmakers... Imagine that!?!

After all that creativity and effort, they're ignoring us! We'll try not to be offended.

Festival begins September 1, and all will be revealed.

Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter for all the latest news and commentary on Filminute 2011.

Revving up the blog, once again

2011-04-26T07:22:00.004+01:00

Admittedly, Twitter has turned us into lazy bloggers. But the time has come once again to rev up the blog and slowly start gearing up for the next few milestone dates (the 20 August submission deadline, and the 1 September start date of Filminute 2011).

We've been using Blogger from the start. Of late, we've started paying attention to some of the innovations in other blogging platforms (like Tumblr). Deep down we were hoping not to have to switch platforms. CLEARLY there are some advantages to being on a platform owned by Google... Search, Google Analytics, Adwords...it all adds up. Blogger also ranks as the most reliable platform (widely reported in December 2010, eg. TechCrunch)

We've had a peek at what's brewing, and we hope some of these design innovations come into play soon... Here's a preview they've hinted at.

Ok, Oscars are done, and to us that means...

2011-02-28T07:59:00.007Z

The Academy Awards always sits as a marker on our Filminute calendar. To us it means that the official Filminute Call for Entry is almost upon us. Regardless of the "official" notice, we have remarked on the fact that we have received more early submissions than ever before. That HAS TO BE a good sign :-) Stay tuned for more frequent updates as we ramp up to full strength once again.

BTW, we do have a flurry of recent Twitter and Facebook posts that share Filminute's POV on the Oscars. Follow Filminute at Twitter.com/Filminute and Facebook.com/Filminute.

Gearing up for Filminute 2011

2010-11-17T13:05:00.006Z

It always feels like such short rest. Soon after we wind down from one festival, we start gearing up for the next year. The official Call for Entry for Filminute 2011 will be announced in Spring 2011, however we will spend the next few months discussing the one-minute film genre and raising expectations on quality. Each year, the films get better and that's not by accident.

We invite you to follow Filminute on Facebook, and we encourage you to participate in the discussion by sharing your views and comments there as filmmakers, creative producers, or members of our audience who love and appreciate one-minute films. During the festival, our Facebook page is one of our most important communication outlets and is easily one of the top means by which our fans share their favourite films.

Twitter account is also one of our important communities. Follow Filminute on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Filminute

Nominate Filminute for a Mashable Award

2010-10-20T03:57:00.003+01:00

Something like this might help get Filminute and some of our shortlisted filmmakers even more on the map :-)

If you can remember to vote for Filminute once a day until end of November, that'd be great! Click the Mashable Awards (or the graphic on the left) to land on a page that votes for us.

Thanks in advance for your help.

UK, ROMANIA AND ICELAND TAKE TOP AWARDS AT FILMINUTE 2010

2010-10-07T15:33:00.008+01:00

UK, ROMANIA AND ICELAND TAKE TOP AWARDS AT FILMINUTE 2010
Acrobatics, divine comedy and a good fright inspire the winning narratives at Filminute, the international one-minute film festival.

TORONTO/BUCHAREST, 7 October 2010 – After a month of online screenings, Filminute 2010 announced the award winners for this year’s film festival. CHOOSE NOT TO FALL, an inspiring and acrobatic documentary from the UK, has been awarded BEST FILMINUTE honours by the seven-member international jury. The unlikely mix of philosophy and real stunts made for exciting viewing and marks the first time that a documentary has won the top honours at Filminute.

Watch the Filminute 2010 Awards clip from Filminute on Vimeo.

The online festival audience from 124 countries, each viewer permitted one vote only, chose the Romanian comedy A NEW PRAYER for the People's Choice Award. A NEW PRAYER jousted with films from Iceland and South Africa and pipped ahead to finally win the popular vote.

The top-rated film was DARK VALLEY, an inventively frightening film from Iceland that all takes place in an SUV standing in the frozen tundra. The film accumulated a rating of 4.7 on the 5-star scale.

CHOOSE NOT TO FALL is directed by Matthew Marsh and features Daniel Ilabaca, a likeable and talented practitioner of parkour — the urban and physical discipline where athletes train to overcome any obstacle in their path by adapting their movements to the environment. Ilabaca is one of the world’s leading parkour athletes and he is transcendental in his delivery of an articulate and optimistic message against “risk free achievement running rampant in youth culture,” as one juror wrote.

John Ketchum, Filminute’s co-founder and head of jury singled out CHOOSE NOT TO FALL as the most quoted film in the festival, with many references and comments from online voters and Facebook fans repeating Ilabaca’s line “If you’re afraid of falling you fall because you’re afraid.”

A NEW PRAYER won the People’s Choice award by generating fans from dozens of countries. Director Dorin Pene takes on the gates of Heaven in a one-scene film that proved to be broadly appealing. The film playfully uses instant messaging as a comedic device, with messaged pleas to a higher power arriving and constantly interrupting the two main characters. The director’s sensibility hints at the work of both Mel Brooks and Monty Python.

12 of the 25 films generated ratings of 4.0 stars or better. DARK VALLEY at 4.7 stars topped them all. “Alien meets Iceland”, quipped one rater of the film. Icelandic director Óskar Arnarson delivers a delightful fright with the most inventive use of side and rear view mirrors to build dramatic tension. And like many masterful horror films, Arnarson’s attention to sound design and ominous shadows is no accident.

The Jury

Seven international jury members judge the 25 shortlisted films and help maintain the high standards for which the Filminute festival has become known. Jurors are asked to evaluate the one-minute films with the same discipline and criteria by which they might evaluate a full-length feature film, animation or documentary. This year’s jury includes luminaries from the film, media, art and advertising worlds: Guardian contributor and film critic RONALD BERGAN; Academy Award-nominated director NEILL BLOMKAMP (DISTRICT 9); writer and director TANUJA CHANDRA; JAN LUMHOLDT of FIRPRESCI; MARK TUTSSEL, global chief creative officer for Leo Burnett Worldwide. Filminute’s co-founders John Ketchum and Sabaa Quao round out the jury.

5 Jury Commendations

The Filminute 2010 jury awarded commendations to 5 films ranked in the following order:

AUTO MADAR (INDIA) Directed by Vasan Bala

An assassin, already late for work, is further stymied by his inability to catch a cab.

GOODBYE MR. NICE GUY (ROMANIA) Directed by Ana Iliesiu & Matei Branea

A one-minute romantic comedy? Why not! Animation and live action are cleverly blended in this offbeat breakup story.

GUMBOOTS (SOUTH AFRICA) Directed by Bauke Brouwer

This gritty and ultimately triumphant story also distinguishes itself as the first film from South Africa to make the Filminute shortlist.

LOVE SUICIDES: PROLOGUE (MALAYSIA / JAPAN) Directed by Edmund Yeo

The simplicity of the film belies the complex story of a family haunted by the demands of the father’s ghost.

FLESH (NETHERLANDS) Directed by Maarten Rots

The persistence of a voyeur standing in the rain leads to a tense and uncomfortable confrontation.

“The range of countries and stories on the jury’s commendation list support the belief we stated when we started Filminute in 2006. One-minute films level the playing field. These films prove that no country has a monopoly on great stories,” says Filminute co-founder Sabaa Quao. “So many of this year’s films do prompt us to watch them two and three times in a row.”

This year’s award-winners were selected from a lineup of 25 films from 18 countries. The shortlist of 25 was narrowed from a field of more than 2000 film and animation screenings and submissions.

Impact of social media

Again, Twitter and Facebook play a key role in the promotion and growth of the festival. Filminute screened the full festival collection within Facebook, as a complement to the main screening room at Filminute.com The impact of social media on film and television properties appears to affect Filminute no differently than the mainstream industry. The festival organizers pointed out that Facebook users drove 30% of the festival’s audience, up from 15% last year. Facebook-driven audiences generated an average of 5 minutes of viewing time. Twitter followers generated an average of 8 minutes on the Filminute site. “We’ll be analyzing our audience habits and preferences over the next few weeks. We expect to be make even bigger strides helping filmmakers reach more audiences, and social media will play an increasingly bigger role in that process,” says Ketchum.

Founded in 2006 by John Ketchum and Sabaa Quao, Filminute is a unique and truly international film festival run by staffers in Bucharest, London, Toronto, Vancouver, and Panama. Each year, the festival experiment with different platforms to complement the main site.

The winning films and the complete Filminute shortlist can be viewed at www.filminute.com and at www.Facebook.com/filminute In Canada, Filminute experimented with broadband video on demand and has a channel at www.rogersondemand.com/channels/filminute

Facebook + VOD are more important than television...

2010-10-03T23:30:00.001+01:00

"How Facebook Can Become Bigger In 5 Years Than Google Is Today" via @techcrunch

Give the TechCrunch article a read first.

We've been thinking about this for a couple of years, ever since we prototyped running festival screenings within Facebook (we ran a beta test of that during Filminute 2008). Entrepreneur Brad Stewart, using some of the mechanics of his AdJoy video platform, pulled the video stream of our festival films into Facebook. Two years ago, that feat was a lot harder to do than it is today. Facebook is now geared for this kind of thing. But in 2008, that successful trial got Filminute thinking far ahead.

Facebook, we decided, is more important than television. Facebook + video on demand are the directions we bet on to round out Filminute's platform reach (Incidentally, this year's broadband VOD trial is underway in Canada w/ Rogers' RODO platform; and our mobile VOD trial in India is coming soon via Jigsee).

During the all-important first week in September, Filminute customarily picks up a first round of momentum, and we gain our first reaction from the audience. No surprise, we quickly get a sense of which films have pull. What was new for us was the degree to which social media had become measurably important. Films that were shared via friends and peers drove deep engagement with our audience — 5 minutes viewing time from Facebook users, 8 minutes from Twitter users.

Taking what we've learned, wait'll you see our next stunt at Filminute 2011 ;-)

Filmmakers and creative producers who are not paying attention to these shifts are missing a glaring opportunity to chart some of their own destiny. While some of these social media platforms and technologies are unpredictable enough (*cough cough* MySpace...), it's worth familiarising yourself with the pattern of communication that probably will outlast any one platform. Facebook + Twitter are your BFFs (Best Friends For now...)

Winding down on voting. Winding up for announcements :-)

2010-10-01T04:35:00.001+01:00

Filminute tweet #1000

2010-09-28T09:23:00.000+01:00

Really short takes, on really short films

2010-09-27T02:44:00.006+01:00

ASHES
DIRECTOR: Robin King (UK)
"Hell is other people" — Sarte..., and Robin King

AUTO MADAR
DIRECTOR: Vasan Bala (India)
Taxi driver pwned by Assassin late for work

BUSINESS A USUAL
DIRECTORS: Michael Benni Pierce & Shaun Boyle (USA)
Elvis' rocks out at The Office

CHOOSE NOT TO FALL
DIRECTOR: Matthew Marsh (UK)

The Matrix meets le parkour

DARK VALLEY
DIRECTOR: Oskar Arnarson (Iceland)
After seeing this film, you'll never get into an SUV again.

DRINKING AND UNICORNS
DIRECTOR: Motke Dapp (USA)
Superhero has another drink, then goes to fight crime.

DUEL IN THE SUNSET
DIRECTOR: Serdar Taç (Turkey/Slovenia)
Girl, guy, sunset, the moon, and a fight scene at the docks. Ouah!

ECHOES
DIRECTOR: John Riley (UK/Romania)
Mirror in the bathroom, please don't scream...

THE FINN
DIRECTOR: Eric Hynynen (Finland)
One critic described The Finn as the most depressing minute you'll spend all day. Maybe. But it's still kinda funny too because of the puppets.

5:27 PM
DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Crowell (USA)
Next time you're stuck in gridlock, just think how beautiful it is - and forget how miserable you are.

FLESH
DIRECTOR: Maarten Rots (Netherlands)
Peeping Tom holds his ground on a rainy day.

GONE
DIRECTOR: Dhruv Mookerji (India)
Mr Bean goes to Bollywood for a magic show.

GOODBYE MR. NICE GUY
DIRECTORS: Ana Iliesiu & Matei Branea (Romania)
Filminute must have a thing for aliens this year, but this time it's a rom/com.

GUMBOOTS
DIRECTOR: Bauke Brouwer (South Africa)
Stylish wellies, gritty township, happy endings.

AN HONEST DAY'S WORK
DIRECTORS: The Brothers Grinn (USA)
Ok, not so happy ending. It's the most dangerous game.

LISTEN TO YOUR LADY
DIRECTOR: Mark Nava (USA/Serbia)
The prison break flick of the year.

LOVE SUICIDES: PROLOGUE
DIRECTOR: Edmund Yeo (Malaysia/Japan)
Daddy's a ghost and he's kind of a downer.

MADAM A.
DIRECTOR: Daniel Maráky (Czech Republic)
We're still thinking about Madame A's notes: written to remember, or for us not to forget?

MENU
DIRECTOR: Joanna Rechnio (Poland-Slovenia)
Houdini flick for foodies.

NATIONAL 03
DIRECTOR: Ana Mendes (Portugal)
Is everyone waiting for someone to arrive or leave?

A NEW PRAYER
DIRECTOR: Dorin Pene (Romania)
A Mel Brooks and Monty Python-esque take at the gates of heaven, with sms messaging as comic relief.

SERVED COLD
DIRECTOR: Gábor Hörcher (Hungary)
Child actor says "No thank you, I'd rather sit in the closet, please."

SHIVER IN THE EVENING OCEAN AIR
DIRECTOR: Tubomi Koukou (Japan)
Yakuza on the beach.

THE WALL
DIRECTOR: Tomas Rafa (Slovak Republic)
Worth noting: A wall is a wall is a wall.

YELLOW
DIRECTOR: Motke Dapp (USA)
A taxi driver for the peak oil era

★★★★ VIEW, RATE, COMMENT and VOTE
www.Filminute.com ★★★★

Filminute on Feedback

2010-09-23T08:52:00.006+01:00

Every year, Filminute has committed to collecting a cross-section of comments to share with each director on our shortlist. We often extend that feedback and support to films that narrowly missed making the final cut.

What we have heard back from filmmakers is that some gleaned more insight around their work from participating in Filminute over any other film festival they had ever entered. We would like to keep up to this high standard that Filminute has set.

This year we've specifically augmented and refined the social media support around the films and the festival experience. We are gauging whether audiences will be more prone to communicate even more around the films, and we curious to see what the qualitative difference is in the feedback sent to us via our form presented beneath each film -VS- the comments put out to the Twitterverse, Facebook, et al.

Given the recent research discoveries around Twitter being a better predictor of box office than prediction markets (research by HP Labs, covered in Fast Company), we wondered if that parallel would provide any indicators or insights that would be useful to filmmakers.

As we hope you can appreciate, Filminute is more than just one experiment. We expect our hypotheses to lead to a collection of insights and outcomes that first benefit our Filminute community (adding 25 filmmakers every year). In turn, we hope to have a larger impact on the film, television, and creative industries through our community.

Last but not least, in support of all these experiment, please do invite your peers, networks, friends and family to participate fully. In under one hour, everyone can rate all the films, provide comments on some, share several, and vote for their favourite. This is how we will grow the data and build a large enough sample to validate whatever we find. 7 DAYS LEFT! Let's max out and see what we learn.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Everybody's a critic, so rate all the films ;-)

Guest blog post from @ajenkins

2010-09-20T04:29:00.001+01:00

A thoughtful post from @ajenkins that we're publishing to the Filminute blog.

I have been a big fan of Filminute since its inception. As a filmmaker and film lover, festivals have been my source for the new, the potentially overlooked and the thought provoking films. Festivals are especially critical for supporting documentaries and I count myself fortunate for the access to documentaries that festivals like Filminute provide.

I will never forget seeing the premiere of The Crying Game at TIFF and heard the air get sucked out of the theatre from the audience’s collective gasp when the film’s secret was revealed. It’s those unforgettable moments of surprise, joy, tears, anger and wonder that festivals are all about and Filminute has been able to provide those moments every year.

What’s more impressive is the power that the films are able to convey in just sixty seconds. Filminute illustrates how filmmakers can say so much with so little. It has been said that innovation comes from constraints. Filminute provides filmmakers constraints in spades and they respond with innovative stories, approaches and truly high calibre product.

Out of the twenty-five semi-finalists, the five films that really resonated with me this year in no particular order were:

5:27 - a juxtaposition of lots of activity with little movement
Choose Not To Fall - inspiration and overcoming fear through parkour
Dark Valley - adhering to Hitchcock’s mantra that what you don’t see is always scarier
Echoes - two periods in the same life connected through a mirror
Madam A. - sound and visuals married for powerful effect and a single object, a piece of barbed wire, telling so much without saying anything

I encourage you to take a few minutes, pardon the pun, and view the films. You will be provoked, touched and, most of all entertained.

Andrew Jenkins
Filmmaker in a previous life

Prize money versus prestige

2010-09-16T16:40:00.005+01:00

This question comes up from time to time. : Why no prize money from Filminute? In 2005 when we came up with the idea, we focused our lean budgets on building a brand, and our goal was to build a presence as remarked upon as the Academy Awards, the business acumen of the Toronto International Film Festival, the splash of Cannes, and the indie spark of Sundance. I'd say we're part way there on some of these, and we'll not let up on pursuit of this vision as a driver of the festival.

Filminute then, without fail every year, gathers a respected and sharp jury that's arguably as good as any feature length-oriented film festival.

Finally, we do out best to build a massive, worldwide audience. Filminute's festival content reaches more audiences in more countries in one month than any major film festival (107 countries at last check-in, and on some years we've hit as many as 120).

If we did all this and offered a $500 prize, even a $5,000 prize, we'd lose the real filmmakers and end up w/ first year film students and junior league entries. We're just not keen on Amateur Night. That's not to say that students never make it through. You'll always hear Filminute say that a one-minute film "levels the playing field" — it's possible for a student or debutante creative producer to make the right film, the right way, and stand up to the pros.

Filminute set out to build the best brand in the world we possibly could, and increasingly we are attracting some standout filmmakers, artists, commercial directors, animators, writers, and so on. And it's quite satisfying to see all these people chatting each other up across multiple time zones on Filminute's Facebook page ;-)

That being said, if Filminute lands some windfall and musters up a million dollar prize, we'll bug you to submit a film same way we always do ;-)

Rate this film!

2010-09-16T09:51:00.002+01:00

When it comes to film, everybody has an opinion. Please translate that opinion on each film by rating all 25 films at Filminute 2010. Your ratings and comments provide a source of insight to the filmmakers and directors.

Don't forget about VOTING for your favourite film as well. Last but not least, share the films you loved to watch.

On our Facebook page, many of the shortlisted directors have been participating in discussions about the films. Feel free to join in and tell us what you think. Which films on the shortlist resonate with you most?

10 days, 107 countries, 2035 cities, and counting...

2010-09-14T07:15:00.002+01:00

How accessible can a film festival be? With no tickets, no lineups, and pure access, Filminute reaches a lot of cities and countries in a short amount of time.

Please share the films you love as far and away as the films can go. Filminute continues to reach more people in more countries every year. We would love your help building a film festival with greater reach than any other. One look at the map and as far as we're concerned, we're just getting started ;-)

The Filminute promotional trailer.

2010-09-08T19:38:00.002+01:00

A 60-second trailer, for 60-second movies. How post-modern!

Filminute 2010 Showreel from Filminute on Vimeo.

Momentum, from Country to Country

2010-09-06T06:26:00.009+01:00

Filminute sees a consistent pattern every year: countries represented on the shortlist support their filmmakers passionately. This is no different than what we have come to expect of the Olympics, and what we saw at every World Cup. We wondered if large countries would simply end up with an insurmountable advantage by generating "national" votes and handily winning the Filminute's People's Choice award.

As it turns out, the films that win tend to generate ratings and votes from A LOT of countries. As a result, we've seen excellent showings at Filminute by small countries like Belgium and Hungary. James Cooper's Canadian entry"Life" won the Filminute 2009 People's Choice award and it was most definitely the nation of "Twitter" that won the day. Votes poured in from every continent. Canada's relatively small population of 34 million was not going to be nearly enough to make a big enougfh dent on its own.

So, if you've got a film at Filminute 2010, we encourage you to get the word out locally, but also remind you that the world is your audience. Make sure you alert everyone you know, everywhere that they are, that you want them to watch your film.

We're happy to see Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, India, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, UK and USA at Filminute.com — some countries representing more passionately than others.

It's far too early to tell which films will gain international momentum and win the day. Lots more drama to come.

2010-09-06T05:14:00.003+01:00

Filminute and the Browser Wars

2010-09-05T04:45:00.002+01:00

We're fascinated by The Browser Wars that have raged over the past decade between Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Opera, and now Chrome. Who watches Filminute and from what browser? And what does it tell us about our target audience?

Filminute has always been predominantly watched on Firefox. But here are our latest stats:

43.59% Firefox

19.45% Chrome

17.52% Internet Explorer

14.10% Safari

4.26% Opera

CHROME!?! Wow...Chrome's come from nowhere on the radar, to edging out Internet Explorer. That makes me start to wonder who's using Chrome and what is the profile or correlation between those users and entertainment/leisure/digital content?

The Weekend Guide to Filminute 2010

2010-09-04T06:01:00.014+01:00

Watch an entire film festival in under 30 minutes.

**********

WHO
25 film and animation productions from 18 countries.

WHAT
One-minute films.

60 seconds – no more, no less.

FROM WHERE
Czech Republic, Finland, Japan, Hungary, Iceland, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, the UK and USA, with South Africa, Turkey and Poland seeing their first contributions ever to the exclusive shortlist.

WHEN
Come and rate these films right now!

And vote for your favourite before September 30.

WHY
Because you'll be surprised by what's possible in 60 seconds.

Because some of these films will make you laugh.

Because some of these films are a work of art.

Because all of these films beat out 1000 other films.

Because it's a film festival you can fully experience in under 30 minutes. Truly.

HOW
Go to http://www.filminute.com and watch a film.
Rate that film.
Share that film.
Enjoy.

**********

;-)

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"LIKE" Filminute on Facebook

2010-09-03T08:02:00.001+01:00

Directly and indirectly, Facebook drove 31% of traffic to the festival site in the first day. Facebook and Twitter have increasingly played a larger role in the success of Filminute, but this is over the top.

We've put up a custom "Filminute 2010" tab, and we will evolve that in a couple of days. We tested out a screening room capability and we'll tweak it and launch it soon. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, we invite you to visit our Facebook page and leave any comments about the festival And don't leave without becoming a fan!

Filminute Stats, Day 1

2010-09-02T13:38:00.003+01:00

Here's a view on who's visiting the site from Day 1 of the festival. Romanian fans are always passionate about this festival, and that comes as no surprise given the consistently strong showing of Romanian filmmakers on our shortlist.

The surprises here would be the arrival of the US at this level of visitor traffic. Great to see Icelandic fans supporting one of their entries!

These number do tend to change dramatically as the festival audiences ramp up, and watching those audience numbers swings is part of the geeky enjoyment we get out of running this film festival.

Everybody's a critic. ★ OR ★★ OR ★★★ OR ★★★★ OR ★★★★★?

2010-09-02T12:00:00.018+01:00

Everyone has an answer to the question "What's your favourite film?" When our jurors review the shortlisted 25 films, we ask them to judge the submissions as "films", which brings a subjective and an objective critique to the process.

Our ratings from the public are just as important as the decision by our Filminute jury. ★ OR ★★ OR ★★★ OR ★★★★ OR ★★★★★? Let us know what you think of each film. In addition, we hope you share these films via Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. We set out to build a film festival that was accessible to as many people worldwide as possible, which is possible when dealing with one-minute films.

Last but not least, the People's Choice Award: everyone in the world is entitled to one vote. After you've watched all 25 films, make your selection of the "best" film, best for whatever reason that resonates with you personally. We've never had the jury and the public finally agree on a winning film — although some years it's come close.

WELCOME to Filminute 2010. Congratulations to the makers of these 25 films.

2010-09-01T12:00:00.007+01:00

THE FILMINUTE 2010 SHORTLIST

ASHES
DIRECTOR: Robin King

UK

AUTO MADAR
DIRECTOR: Vasan Bala

India

BUSINESS A USUAL
DIRECTORS: Michael Benni Pierce & Shaun Boyle

USA

CHOOSE NOT TO FALL
DIRECTOR: Matthew Marsh

UK

DARK VALLEY
DIRECTOR: Oskar Arnarson

Iceland

DRINKING AND UNICORNS
DIRECTOR: Motke Dapp

USA

DUEL IN THE SUNSET
DIRECTOR: Serdar Taç

Turkey/Slovenia

ECHOES
DIRECTOR: John Riley

UK/Romania

THE FINN
DIRECTOR: Eric Hynynen

Finland

5:27PM
DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Crowell

USA

FLESH
DIRECTOR: Maarten Rots

Netherlands

GONE
DIRECTOR: Dhruv Mookerji

India

GOODBYE MR. NICE GUY
DIRECTORS: Ana Iliesiu & Matei Branea

Romania

GUMBOOTS
DIRECTOR: Bauke Brouwer

South Africa

AN HONEST DAY'S WORK
DIRECTORS:The Brothers Grinn

USA

LISTEN TO YOUR LADY
DIRECTOR: Mark Nava

USA/Serbia

LOVE SUICIDES: PROLOGUE
DIRECTOR: Edmund Yeo

Malaysia/Japan

MADAM A.
Daniel Maráky

Czech Republic

MENU
DIRECTOR: Joanna Rechnio

Poland-Slovenia

NATIONAL 03
DIRECTOR: Ana Mendes

Portugal

A NEW PRAYER
DIRECTOR: Dorin Pene

Romania

SERVED COLD
DIRECTOR: Gábor Hörcher

Hungary

SHIVER IN THE EVENING OCEAN AIR
DIRECTOR: Tubomi Koukou

Japan

THE WALL
DIRECTOR: Tomas Rafa

Slovak Republic

YELLOW
DIRECTOR: Motke Dapp

USA

VIEW, RATE, COMMENT & VOTE
www.Filminute.com

Submissions overview

2010-08-31T16:00:00.007+01:00

Now that we've completed the Call for Entry, submission, and review stages, we've got some updated numbers on where Filminute films came from this year.

While Filminute has customarily attracted a significant portion of our festival audience from India, this is the year we saw India overtake all other countries in submissions. Over 15% of submissions came from India, surging past a flood of US filmmakers. You will see 2 Indian films on this year's shortlist.

The US has been a late entrant to the party and for the first time caught up to our UK volume of submissions. Central and Eastern Europe continue to be a powerful source of films, and that's been consistent since the Filminute's inception in 2006.

We also saw our broadest array of films from Central and South America, with submissions from Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.

More insights to come. But it all becomes tangible tomorrow when we announce the Filminute 2010 shortlist. Let the screenings begin!

The Filminute 2010 Jury

2010-08-22T18:16:00.004+01:00

We are pleased to welcome Ronald Bergan, Neill Blomkamp, Tanuja Chandra, Jan Lumholdt, and Mark Tutssel to the Filminute 2010 jury.

Filminute has always been ambitious in its pursuit of critical, strong, and respected jury members. This year is no exception. At the back of our minds when making our final shortlist of 25 films, we always think about films that are worthy of our jury and worthy of our worldwide audiences' time.

Interesting to note: our juries and our voting public have never agreed on their selection of the "best" film, and we consider that tension an important and exciting part of the festival.

An imperfect "Thank You"

2010-08-20T06:44:00.002+01:00

An inspiring load of films have arrived over the past few days. There's always drama like that as we approach the 20 August submission deadline. What I'd like to pause and note is the impact that various web postings via Twitter and blogs have had in getting the word out.

Not only has this activity drawn in film genres we needed more of, it has also helped get Filminute on the radar of filmmakers in countries we've not had representation from before.

For instance, here's a screen cap of recent Twitter posters, and that's just scratching the surface — thus the imperfect "Thank You"...

10 days left to submit your film

2010-08-11T09:36:00.000+01:00

★★★ 20 August 2010 ★★★ rapidly approaches. There is always a goldmine of films that arrive at the last minute, and we are always delighted to see them.

If you haven't already, join Filminute on Facebook or follow Filminute on Twitter.

Join us.

2010-08-09T14:30:00.001+01:00

Join Filminute on Facebook; follow us Twitter

Submissions..the home stretch

2010-08-09T06:32:00.002+01:00

In 11 days, we'll close the door on submissions and begin to make our final selects for Filminute 2010. The persistent and perennial August 20 submission deadlines rules us for 8 months, and then we agonise for a few days making the final cuts. The endless viewing of films, the back and forth between our management team and prospective filmmakers — it always pays off.

Our selection committee is picky and prickly, and for a reason. We expect our audience and our jurors to be picky and prickly so it's best that we be brutally critical first. Now 5 years into the festival, we owe quality to a worldwide audience when Filminute 2010 goes live on September 1 every year.

Last year, so much of the festival was intertwined with social media, especially with the appearance of LINE on the shortlist. That one-minute film originated as a Twitter post by Twitter fiction writer Arjun Basu. It went on to win our People's Choice award winner, and the twitterati definitely weighed in on that outcome!

Following on that, leading up to September 1 we ask you to do 2 things: join us on Facebook and/or on Twitter, because these platforms are becoming increasingly central to the Filminute festival experience.

The usual reminder ;-)

2010-07-19T14:51:00.008+01:00

Your Filminute submission is due ★ August 20 ★ and the festival runs 1 - 30 September 2010.

Make Every Moment Count

Sound design and music...

2010-07-19T07:44:00.003+01:00

Again, we cannot underscore enough the importance of music and sound design, and all the difference it makes — even for a one-minute film.

Take a look at this list of films scored by Argentine musician, film composer and producer, Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla ... "Amores Perros", "21 Grams", "The Motorcycle Diaries", and "Brokeback Mountain"...All memorably scored, and as we now see, there is no coincidence.

For 60 seconds of your film, call on the favours you need to get the sound and music to as sublime a level as you can muster. That extra will help make every moment count.

Non sequitur...

2010-06-11T09:00:00.028+01:00

Yes, today's post has absolutely nothing to do with one-minute films. It's World Cup! We will be happily distracted for the next few weeks. But remember... the ★ August 20 ★ submission deadline still stands! Perhaps some winning performances by your favourite teams will inspire you to making an even greater one-minute film. Make every moment count!

Audiences from 122 Countries

2010-04-26T06:21:00.008+01:00

Each year, we scrutinise our site stats for insights about our audiences. Filminute 2009 attracted viewers from 122 countries during the festival month of September. However, 85% of our audience was generated by 10 countries: Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Romania, Russia, United Kingdom, United States.

The audience numbers are certainly influenced by the countries represented on the shortlist however this does not necessarily determine the outcome of the People's Choice Award.

The footrace to win the People's Choice Award is often dramatic (and part of the entertainment for those of us managing the backend operation of the festival). The top films consistently generate views and votes far beyond their national origins. People rate and vote for the story, and that's the kind of sincere audience participation Filminute encourages and generates.

And the winners are...

2009-10-08T17:58:00.025+01:00

PRESS RELEASE 8 OCT 2009
UK, CANADA, AND ITALY TAKE TOP AWARDS AT FILMINUTE 2009
Great stories, special effects, and even Twitter have an effect in determining the winners at Filminute, the international one-minute film festival.

Watch the winners now: http://www.filminute.com
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TEXT VERSION OF PRESS RELEASE
UK, CANADA, AND ITALY TAKE TOP AWARDS AT FILMINUTE 2009
Great stories, special effects, and even Twitter have an effect in determining the winners at Filminute, the international one-minute film festival.

LONDON/BUCHAREST, October 8, 2009 - After a month of screenings by audiences in over 120 countries, Filminute announced the 2009 award winners today. UK film THE BLACK HOLE, a highly imaginative story about greed, took home BEST FILMINUTE honours from the seven-member international jury, while LIFE, the first-ever Twitter-lit screenplay adaptation, won the popular vote for the People's Choice Award. The top-rated film was SUN-DAY, a haunting recollection of a young life, with 4.8 stars out of a possible 5.

THE BLACK HOLE, by directors Phil Sansom and Olly Wiliams, features masterful direction and a brilliant performance from UK actor Napolean Ryan who plays an office worker that discovers a photocopied piece of paper with a black hole. He then sets about using the black hole in ways that too aptly display the darker side of human nature - paralleling the behaviours responsible for our current economic crisis. It's a classic tale, and a perfect one-minute parable for our times.

“THE BLACK HOLE truly is a great one-minute film,” says John Ketchum, Filminute co-founder and head of jury. “From the originality and timeliness of the idea, through to the brilliance of the acting, the power of the sound design, and the deft use of special effects, this film made every moment count.”

The Filminute 2009 jury comprised Pamela Biénzobas, a Chilean critic and journalist based in France and Vice-President of FIPRESCI; designer and filmmaker Hillman Curtis; Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather; Grammy award-winning graphic designer and typographer Stefan Sagmeister; London-based, award-winning Pakistani novelist Kamila Shamsie; and Ketchum and his Filminute co-founder Sabaa Quao.

The Filminute 2009 Jury awarded commendations to:

THE GOATS, directed by Razvan Parlog, ROMANIA
????? / HELL, directed by David OReilly, IRELAND/GERMANY
ELVIRA AT LORO RIVER, directed by Jose Villafañe, ARGENTINA
FIVE FOOT TEN, directed by Matthew Taylor, CANADA
HOW DO YOU DO, directed by Gabriel Achim, ROMANIA

“One look at the Jury Commendation list tells you that a number of films could easily have taken Best Filminute honours this year. It reflects the growing popularity of the format amongst professional and leading-edge filmmakers and artists who appreciate the challenge, reach, and quality of the festival,” says Quao. “So many of this year's films beg second and third viewings and resonate long after the final note. These films are remarkable works.”

This year's award-winners were selected from a lineup of 25 films from 13 countries. The shortlist of 25 was narrowed from a field of more than 2000 films, animations, and mashups. The People's

Choice award was determined by the Filminute audience with votes coming from 122 countries - and the formidable Twitter nation arguably representing a 123rd country.

This year has seen Twitter and Facebook play a key role, not only for the Filminute community, but for the filmmakers as well. Canadian director James Cooper adapted LIFE from a story by popular Twitter fiction writer Arjun Basu. LIFE dares to explore the central question of our existence - in one minute - and features art direction that cheekily plays with special effects to the delight of the average viewer as well as film insiders. To win the People's Choice, LIFE beat out a very strong challenge from the Romanian film HOW DO YOU DO, with SUN-DAY (Italy), KRONKELS (Belgium) and SILENCES (India) rounding out the top five.

The highest-rated film of Filminute 2009 was SUN-DAY by Italian director Pantaleone A. Megna. Original black and white camerawork and a haunting soundtrack heighten Vincent Gambino's portrayal of a young man reflecting back on the circumstances that have brought him to the netherworld he now inhabits.

Founded in 2006 by John Ketchum and Sabaa Quao, Filminute is a unique and truly international film festival run by staffers in Bucharest, London, Toronto, Vancouver, Panama, and Buenos Aires. Filminute has vaulted past its online beginning and become a truly cross-platform media and entertainment property through its physical events and mobile applications, including this year's popular iPhone-enabled version of the site (www.m.filminute.com).

Worldwide streaming of the films was provided by Limelight Networks, one of the world's most robust content delivery networks. The marquee screening venue was in Toronto, Canada, this year, at a gala evening held at the Royal Ontario Museum. The sold-out, $500-a-ticket fundraiser for the museum's Institute For Contemporary Culture had the audience screening, rating, and voting on the films. The evening was capped with an exclusive preview of the Vanity Fair portraits exhibition. Interestingly, THE BLACK HOLE was voted as the audience favourite that evening.

Ketchum and Quao also give special thanks to all of Filminute's sponsors and media partners, which include Limelight Networks, EYE WEEKLY, Cinemagia, and Mobile Mondays (Buenos Aires and Italy chapters).

The winning films and the complete Filminute shortlist can be viewed at www.filminute.com and on iPhone at www.m.filminute.com

Five Filminute Facts

A worldwide audience from a record 122 countries watched one-minute films and related content at Filminute.com and partner sites.

Traffic to www.filminute.com from the continents was measured as follows: 73% Europe; 20% North America; 5% Asia; 2% Australia and Africa.

Top 10 One-Minute Film Fanatical Countries: 1-Romania; 2-Italy; 3-USA; 4-Canada; 5-United Kingdom; 6-Belgium; 7-India; 8-France; 9-Germany; 10-Australia

During the festival month, 15% of all traffic to the Filminute site was driven by Facebook and Twitter.

During the festival month of September, the most popular time of day to watch one-minute films was between noon and 1pm GMT, on a Wednesday.

http://www.filminute.com and m.filminute.com for iPhone

- END -

Recent campaigns for m.filminute.com for iPhone

2009-09-28T08:10:00.008+01:00

Filminute PREVIEW video

2009-09-26T07:02:00.000+01:00

Filminute 2009 Showreel from Filminute on Vimeo.

Prior Press Release (Filminute on iPhone)

2009-09-26T05:21:00.001+01:00

Prior Press Release (13 Countries)

2009-09-26T05:10:00.001+01:00

Filminute Festival, Publicat la data de 24.09.2009 on 121.ro

2009-09-25T09:09:00.005+01:00

Filminute Co-founder and head of Jury wrote a recent article for 121.ro Here's the English translation.

One of the many great things about the digital age is how it dramatically increases people’s accessibility to a variety of arts, both as audience and artist. As a budding filmmaker in the 90’s I got to experience this first hand when I shot a short documentary about the Sundance film festival with a simple, Hi8 consumer camera and then one week later watched it air on Canadian national television. Even two years prior to that I couldn’t have dreamed of such thing, because low-cost technology options like Hi8 didn’t exist and weren’t being accepted by conventional broadcasters.

Much of what I learned from that and other subsequent experiences with digital technology, played a big role the creation of Filminute, the international one-minute film festival we launched in 2006 with partners from the filmmaking, design and communications industry. With digital technologies far advanced from where they were in the late 90’s and YouTube freshly launched, we saw in one-minute films the opportunity to offer a format and a platform that would enable professional filmmakers and artists of all stripes and nationalities to showcase their storytelling talents on film to a respected international jury as well as a massive global audience. Four years in and the accessibility of the one-minute format has indeed proven itself with photographers, writers, actors and painters from all over the world joining the list of professional filmmakers who have been featured on Filminute’s annual and exclusive 25-film shortlist, a list that this year will reach audiences in more than 100 countries.

In addition to the range of artists that have successfully taken on the challenge, Filminute can also proudly point to the impressive role of female directors in the festival. In an industry, where an average of 7-10% of directors are women, Filminute can point to 25% of its 2009 shortlisted directors being female. It’s a very strong showing and also reflective of earlier successes by women at Filminute including the 2007 BEST FILMINUTE honours that went to Bulgarian director Kristina Groseva, and last year’s People’s Choice Award won by Hungarian female director Papai Pici.

Together with the wide variety of artists drawn to Filminute, the presence of so many women speaks to what’s possible when the barriers to entry are lowered and new technologies enable a challenging of the status quo.

Filminute’s annual international jury is also built to reflect the wide range of participating directors at Filminute, including women. This year we have award-winning Pakistani novelist Kamila Shamsie on the jury as well as Paris-based Chilean film journalist Pamela Bienzobas. In previous years we’ve had Cannes-awarded Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf as well the head of the German Film Critics Association, Andreea Dittgen. All of these women are leaders whose presence serves to inspire established as well as up-and-coming filmmakers – men and women.

The accessibility that Filminute inspires also applies to countries. Over 75 countries have submitted films to Filminute over the course of the first 4 years. The U.S, the UK, Canada and Germany are always present, reflecting the strength of the film industries in those countries. However, countries like Romania, Bulgaria, India and Russia are also strong players who have won top honours from the jury and public alike. I’m especially pleased with Romania, one of Filminute’s anchor cities along with Toronto and London. The quality and quantity of films from Romania is always amazing and this year can be seen in 5 incredible films on the 25-film shortlist. It’s all proof that in today’s digital, global culture, no country or gender has a monopoly on good storytelling.

I ❤ www.m.filminute.com #iPhone beta, part 3

2009-09-19T08:08:00.001+01:00

I ❤ www.m.filminute.com #iPhone beta, part 2

2009-09-19T07:48:00.002+01:00

:-)

I ❤ www.m.filminute.com #iPhone beta

2009-09-19T06:25:00.004+01:00

Filminute's iPhone-centric beta site was put up this week. Some tweaks here and there, but generally was very smooth from the start. Thx go out to Mobiliciouz, our mobile development partners in Buenos Aires, our tech lead Dan in Bucharest, and our design team that built the Filminute.com site in Toronto

You can view, rate, and comment on the mobile site. However, to place your one vote for The People's Choice, award, please visit the main website.

www.m.filminute.com

@Filminute TweetStats

2009-09-13T16:01:00.002+01:00

Top five words: Filminute, #1M, tr, film, RT.

2009-09-13T15:48:00.001+01:00

I ❤ FILMINUTE

Women play too at Filminute

2009-09-13T06:34:00.004+01:00

Women directors, or the lack thereof in the American studio system, has been a hot topic in the news recently. According to the New York Times ("See Any Similarities in These Directors?"), 93% of the approximately 85 live-action movies slated for 2009 release by the six biggest film companies - Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Brothers - were directed by men.

By contrast, female directors counted for 25% of the Filminute 2009 shortlist. We've always believed that one-minute films level the playing field, and Filminute hopes to continue to prove that point when it comes to the success of both women and men, of all global origins. We continue to insist that nobody has a monopoly on good stories.

Congratulations to Shizuka Kusayanagi, Britt Rayes, Emma Vanhille, Luana Visciglia, and Elena Wen for their submissions now in competition at Filminute 2009. And let's take a moment to again applaud Best Filminute 2007 winner Kristina Grozeva for GAME (Bulgaria), and People's Choice 2008 winner Pici Papai for Quick (Hungary).

Twitterの１つぶやきが短編映画になった

2009-09-09T09:04:00.004+01:00

ある人の１つぶやきが映画になりました。

といっても長編物ではなく、つぶやきにぴったりの超短編映画です。

Arjun Basuさん（@arjunbasu）さんは毎日Twitterで1つぶやきのフィクションをつぶやいています。すなわち毎ストーリーが140文字で収まっています。たとえば、最新のつぶやきではこんなストーリーになっています、

Read full piece here.

(And if anyone can send us a translation, that'd be fab.)

Merci, Cyberpresse!

2009-09-09T08:38:00.009+01:00

Lundi 7 Septembre 2009, 15h00
Cinéma minute, blogue de Jozef Siroka, Cyberpresse

Bon, c’est vrai que ce n’est pas trop fameux le Tweet-a-Thon de Kevin Smith. Je vous propose donc une autre activité virtuelle, bien plus satisfaisante celle-là. Le Filminute 2009, un festival de cinéma international en ligne qui se tient tout au long du mois de septembre.

La particularité de cet événement : toutes les oeuvres soumises ont une durée exacte de 60 secondes (d’autres règlements ici). La sélection cette année comprend 25 films; vous êtes invités à les coter et à les commenter.

Le gagnant de 2008 (photo) se trouve ici.

The Feel Good Film of the Year..., and other fine clichés

2009-09-07T08:52:00.006+01:00

★★★★★ Everybody's a critic. We look forward to your comments on all 25 shortlisted films at Filminute 2009.

★ OR ★★ OR ★★★ OR ★★★★ OR ★★★★★ ?

2009-09-06T05:11:00.005+01:00

★★★★★ Everybody's a critic. We look forward to your comments on all 25 shortlisted films at Filminute 2009.

Welcome to Filminute

2009-09-05T08:34:00.009+01:00

Our mobile site and mobile campaigns will launch soon. Many thanks to our mobile development partners in Buenos Aires whom we'll introduce to you shortly. Stay tuned!

Cinemagia — media partners at Filminute 2009

2009-09-05T06:42:00.002+01:00

The Weekend Guide to Filminute 2009

2009-09-04T21:30:00.008+01:00

THE WEEKEND GUIDE TO FILMINUTE 2009
Where else can you watch an entire film festival in under 30 minutes?
**********
WHO
25 film and animation directors from 13 countries
Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy,
Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Thailand, UK, USA

WHERE
Filminute 2009
http://www.filminute.com

WHAT
One-minute films. 60 Seconds. No more, no less.

WHEN
Rate, comment, and vote, 24hrs a day until September 30

WHO'S WATCHING
Filminute fanatics. Film fans. Filmmakers. The Audience. The Jury.

WHY
Because the films are really great.
Because you get to see Walt in a whole new light.
Because Jim Jarmusch has a cameo.
Because innocence is lost.
Because of the zombies.
Because you get to have your say in who wins.
Because everybody's a critic.

HOW
Go to http://www.filminute.com.
You may also follow Filminute on Twitter at http://twitter.com/filminute
Followers are invited to identify their Filminute-related posts
by including the hashtag #1M or #Filminute
And on Facebook, become a fan at
http://www.facebook.com/Filminute

**********
CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND HEAD OF JURY
JOHN KETCHUM

CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SABAA QUAO

STREAMING SPONSOR
LIMELIGHT NETWORKS

Good Tweeting

2009-09-04T20:28:00.003+01:00

THANKS Tweepism!

The Guardian Weighs in on Filminute

2009-09-04T08:06:00.006+01:00

MENTIONS: How Do You Do? (Romania), Heatwave (Romania), Life (Canada), Brains (USA), Drop Dead (US), Goats (Romania), Black Hole (UK), I Like Bird (Belgium), ???/Hell (Ireland-Germany), Me and Jim (Serbia)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/sep/04/filminute-film-festival

Follow Filminute on Twitter

2009-09-04T03:59:00.001+01:00

Follow Filminute on TWITTER throughout the festival.

Twitter-inspired screenplay "LIFE" makes it to Fast Company

2009-09-03T04:56:00.005+01:00

Three Twitter-Inspired Works of Art
BY Erica Westly Wed Sep 2, 2009 at 5:25 PM
FAST COMPANY

60 WORDS ON 60 SECONDS is back!

2009-09-03T03:19:00.005+01:00

EYE WEEKLY takes up a challenge of their own, "60 WORDS ON 60 SECONDS," the now annual review of 5 films from Filminute's shortlist. This year, film critic Chandler Levack selects virgins, hell, zombies, black holes, and musings on Jim Jarmusch. Check it out.

Launched! Welcome to Filminute 2009!

2009-09-02T06:06:00.002+01:00

Stretch Goals

2009-08-30T23:41:00.002+01:00

At inception, Filminute set out to build the biggest and best one-minute film festival in the world. We gauged the response from our audiences and the creative community, and tweaked the model until (arguably) we reached that goal.

Then we got ambitious ;-) Filminute's stretch goal for 2010: build the biggest & best film festival in the world.

Not so easy...but sure as hell going to try! This September, Filminute 2009 will test out models that make the business smarter and sharper. We'll apply what we learn for 2010.

Filminute will reach 50% of our goal by virtue of the quality of the films we collect. In a recessionary year, we are pleased by what we have curated and on September 1 we look forward to your reaction.

Filminute owes a world of thanks to our programmers; they've been reviewing films since last February. And we appreciate our selection committee for giving us their honest opinion on what films should make the final cut.

Armen Antranikian in The Observer

2009-08-30T16:39:00.004+01:00

Armen Antranikian, one of the stars of Filminute 2007, has kept himself busy. Today, he's featured in an article in The Observer discussing the future of filmmaking and how "tomorrow's film directors use digital technology to overcome obstacles." http://bit.ly/28XypL

Armen also has a new short film coming called Alice Alive.

A sci-fi rom-com that tells the story of Jason, a lonesome teenager who finds love unexpectedly when Alice, his neglected Japanese android, malfunctions.

Follow Armen on Twitter

Hey Armen...are we getting a Filminute submission from you for Filminute 2010? Your One Minute Guide to Planet Earth will be a hard act to follow, but we're sure you can do it ;-) Congratulations on your coverage in The Observer.

Follow Filminute on Twitter

2009-08-30T07:39:00.004+01:00

Follow Filminute on TWITTER throughout the festival.

The mini highlight reel

2009-08-12T05:39:00.004+01:00

Yes, Twitter has turned us into lazy Bloggers, but I digress.

Crunch time leading up to this year's festival launch, and here are some recent highlights:

Part way through yesterday, Filminute submissions rolled in EVERY 5 MINUTES. Belgium, Macedonia, Turkey, Norway, et al, KEEP IT COMING.
Submissions due ★ Aug 20 ★
Once again, we're seeing international collaborations and co-productions make their way towards Filminute. Very inspiring to see people work this way.
Poland, UK, Australia, Canada, Romania, USA, Germany, India leading the pack in Filminute submissions from 32 countries. Can we break 60?
Did I mention...submissions due ★★★ Aug 20 ★★★

mf5chj3arv

International co-productions, Filminute style.

2009-05-13T00:23:00.002+01:00

RT twae Looking to work with any @Filminute producers to turn one of my stories into digital polyester. Get in touch!

Twister Twae is based in London. However, with one-minute films, the international collaboration tend to be easy enough. We support and encourage them; please continue to use Filminute's Twitter page to shout out for collaborators.

Sound designers Taiwan, working with filmmakers in Finland. Editors in Brazil working with creative dirtectors in Russia. More collaborative mashups like these will produce new ways to tell a story, we're certain of that.

A thousand flowers blooming

2009-05-13T00:08:00.003+01:00

The beauty and reach of "a thousand blossoms", and how these touch significant and appreciative audiences worldwide, is where we need filmmakers to focus their creativity.

Filmmaker and world citizen (India, Taiwan, New York City) Shashwati tweeted the following and in a few words captured so much about Filminute.

RT @Shashwati These folks are doing minute long films @Filminute (a thousand flowers blooming etc....)

The Quick Recap

2009-05-02T06:58:00.001+01:00

A one-minute view of the films of Filminute 2008:

A one-minute view of Filminute 2007:

What Makes a Great One-Minute Film? We revisit our favourite question.

2009-03-10T06:53:00.007Z

As we kick off the Filminute 2009 Call For Entries, we thought it appropriate to revisit our favourite question "What makes a great one-minute film?" We selected some of the most illuminating answers from the Filminute jury, beginning with 2006 juror Ekow Eshun’s much-quoted response (part of a wider and very popular interview).

The insights and perspectives below will stir the imagination and will surely inspire a fresh wave of submissions to Filminute 2009!

EKOW ESHUN

A great one-minute film will last longer than a minute! Sometimes in a full-length film, you'll get one scene in the film that resonates beyond the length of the full film. The one-minute film is the reverse of that, in one minute, a great one-minute film will capture an idea that stays with you far beyond one-minute. - Ekow Eshun, Artistic Director, Institute of Contemporary Arts (London) and Filminute 2006 Juror

KLAUS EDER

A good film, short or long, should show me something about our (inner and outer) world which I didn't know. As well, it should concern me, hit me emotionally - Klaus Eder, FIPRESCI General Secretary and Filminute 2008 Juror

ANDREA DITTGEN

A great one-minute film has one surprising moment that changes your perception - just like the very first movies made in the 19th century. – Dr. Andrea Dittgen, Head of the German Film Critics Association and Filminute 2008 Juror

CRAIG DAVIS

[A great one-minute film is] something that makes you lean forward and want to get involved. Something that resonates and lingers. Something that leaves you with the feeling of needing to be satiated by another episode. Something you can discuss as opposed to consume. – Craig Davis, JWT Chief Creative Officer Worldwide, Filminute 2006 Juror

PAUL HAGGIS (in reference to one of his 2008 Jury commendations)

The film made me ask uncomfortable questions, and it made rethink something I thought I knew. That is quite an accomplishment for any film -- but to do all that in one minute? That is the art. – Paul Haggis, Academy Award-winning screenwriter, producer and film director, Filminute 2008 juror.

FILMINUTE 2008 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

2008-10-13T10:57:00.019+01:00

- PRESS RELEASE -

UK ANIMATION WINS BEST FILMINUTE
Top honours also go to Hungarian and Romanian productions at Filminute international one-minute film festival

LONDON/BUCHAREST, 12 October 2008 — Maniacally competitive sock puppets, an innocent take on the proverbial “quickie,” and a sci-fi rendering of the wonders of antacid take top honours at Filminute, the international one-minute film festival. The 2008 Filminute Awards were announced today at a live event at the Orange Concept Store in Bucharest and on a televised special on ShortsTV in Europe.

Filminute’s seven-member international jury awarded the Best Filminute to UK director Oli Hyatt’s animated romp STITCHUP SHOWDOWN – GYM JAM. Produced by Blue-Zoo and Nickelodeon, Hyatt’s animated film features sock puppet warriors in a death-defying gym work out.

Determined by a worldwide audience from more than 90 countries, Filminute’s People’s Choice Award goes to Hungarian director Pici Papai’s QUICK, which looks at an adult relationship through the eyes of children.

This year’s Top-Rated film is IMMERSE, the animated, Romanian/UK co-production directed by Anton Groves. A nano-technological take on acid-reflux relief, IMMERSE scored 4.2 stars out of a possible 5. A repeat winner at Filminute, Anton Groves won Best Filminute in 2006 with the one-minute film Line.

The Filminute 2008 Jury is also responsible for the presentation of five jury commendations. The nods from the jury went to:

NEW ORLEANS FOR SALE, directed by Brandan Odums, USA
THE HOBBYIST, directed by Justin Waite, UK
BELGRADE, directed by Mark Nava, Serbia/USA
RAHIM MURGE PE MAT RO, directed by Devashish Makhija, Rajat Nagpal, India
BIRTHDAY PRESENT, directed by Markus Virpio, Finland

The 2008 winners were selected from the Filminute line up of 25 films from 16 countries which were shortlisted after a review of more than 1500 films, animations, and mashups.

The 2008 Filminute jury was comprised of

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 co-founders John Ketchum and Sabaa Quao.

“It’s remarkable to have an animated film win against the live action and documentary entries,” says Ketchum, head of the jury. “We’ve always believed in the Filminute format, in letting all the films go head to head against each other and may the best story win. And here we have it with STITCHUP SHOWDOWN – GYM JAM, a film that appeared on the majority of the juror’s selects and also lead in the voting for the People’s Choice Award at various points during the month.”

“No country has a monopoly on good stories, and the People’s Choice award winner, QUICK, helps affirm that belief,” says Quao “The film jockeyed for position against RAHIM MURGE, STITCHUP SHOWDOWN, and SUPPORT from mid-September right through to the finish. That’s Hungary, up against India, the UK, and Iceland. The breadth of voters beyond just local fans in Hungary made the difference and that speaks to the quality of the story and to the film’s international appeal. You’ll see new details in the story each time you watch QUICK and you begin to appreciate the mastery of the director in delivering that film in one take.”

The 2008 edition of Filminute has been an unprecedented success, with audiences from 94 countries logging on to the main Festival site to view the collection of one-minute films. The online audiences, combined with the views of the site from broadband publishers, television specials in France, Belgium, Luxembourg (with ShortsTV France) and Romania (PrimaTV), and digital installations, cinema screenings, and mobile downloads at Selfridges in London, amount to close to thee million views of the films and related content. Filminute also launched its own network on the Adobe Media Player which festival organizers point to as an important broadband channel for future development.

The fourth edition of Filminute will be held September 1 through 30, 2009. The submission deadline is August 20, 2009.

Founded in 2006 by John Ketchum and Sabaa Quao, Filminute is a unique and truly international film festival. Filminute has vaulted past its online beginning and become a truly cross-platform media and entertainment property. The 2008 edition of Filminute held live events in Bucharest and cinematic screenings in London. Filminute’s international television broadcast properties are hosted by Peter Shinkoda, from Vancouver, Canada, with segments produced around the globe. Filminute thrives with minimal infrastructure, employing a handful of staffers based in Bucharest, London, Toronto and Vancouver.

Quao pointed to the sponsors as being a major factor in enabling Filminute to expand its global reach. Content delivery was provided by Limelight Networks which, having just streamed coverage of the Olympic Games for NBC, is one of the world’s most robust content delivery networks. The marquee screening venue in London was provided by Selfridges department store, which showcased Filminute in a customized cinema in the Ultralounge and a digital installation at the Wonder Wall.

Ketchum and Quao thanked all of Filminute’s sponsors and underlined the support of Selfridges, Limelight Networks, Adbeast and Orange.

The winning films and the complete Filminute shortlist can be viewed at www.filminute.com

Fun Filminute Facts

A worldwide audience from 94 countries watched one-minute films and related content at Filminute.com and partner sites close to three million times.
On average, a request to view a film was made every 20 seconds.
Traffic to www.filminute.com came from the continents as follows: 55% Europe, 31% North America, 12% Asian traffic to the site.
Tuesday was the most popular day to watch one-minute films.
The most popular time of day to watch one-minute films at www.filminute.com was 10AM in Los Angeles (1PM in New York, 6PM in London, 7PM in Zurich, and 10:30PM in Mumbai), leaving Filminute organizers to ponder whether one-minute films go best with morning coffee breaks, lunchtime distraction, or after-dinner discussions.
Top 12 One-Minute Film Fanatical Cities: 1-Bucharest; 2-London; 3-Budapest; 4-Vancouver; 5-Toronto; 6-Zurich; 7-Montreal; 8-Frankfurt; 9-Berlin; 10-Los Angeles; 11-Delhi; 12-Mumbai
Top 12 One-Minute Film Fanatical Countries: 1-Romania; 2-USA; 3-Canada; 4-Germany; 5-UK; 6-Hungary; 7-India; 8-Slovakia; 9-Russia; 10-Switzerland; 11-Spain; 12-France

View the main Filminute site and winning films at http://www.filminute.com

Jury and Public Commentary on Filminute 2008

2008-10-12T16:25:00.002+01:00

COMING SOON

FILMINUTE 2008 PHOTOGALLERY

2008-10-12T16:22:00.007+01:00

MORE IMAGES FROM FILMINUTE 2008 AND THE AWARDS SHOW

COMING SOON

Filminute launches 2 shows on the Adobe Media Player

2008-09-28T02:41:00.000+01:00

We are very pleased to be on the Adobe Media Player broadband broadcast platform. Filminute can now broadcast "shows". We have launched with two shows.

The first show individually presents the 25 films shortlisted at Filminute 2008.

The second show is provides some of the background behind Filminute. Starting off from Vancouver with host Peter Shinkoda, we jump to Bucharest then London for brief comments from the Filminute's Co-Executive Directors John Ketchum and Sabaa Quao. The commentary is interspersed by presentation of 5 films at a time until the full shortlist of 25 films from Filminute 2008 have been shown. Here's a snapshot of the Adobe Media Player interface.

Event at ORANGE concept store

2008-09-27T21:52:00.010+01:00

INVITATIONS to the Filminute Festival event at the
ORANGE Concept Store, Bucharest.

blog.wired.com posting #2

2008-09-04T11:57:00.007+01:00

Wired.com's Pick From Filminute's Microvideo Short-List
By Hugh Hart September 03, 2008 | 4:20:00 PM
Categories: DIY, Movies, Video

EXCERPT: "The Filminute 2008 Shortlist, posted Monday, showcases the cream of the crop, submitted by filmmakers from Europe, Russia, India, Iran, China and North America."

"Here are Wired.com's short takes on Filminute's short movie standouts." Read more.

Welcome to Filminute 2008

2008-09-01T12:00:00.007+01:00

Congratulations to the directors, producers, cast, and crew of these 25 films. 16 countries are represented on the Filminute shortlist this year.

THE FILMINUTE 2008 SHORTLIST

BELGRADE
DIRECTOR: Mark Nava
SERBIA / USA

BIRTHDAY PRESENT
DIRECTOR: Markus Virpio
FINLAND

BRATYSLAVA BOYS
DIRECTOR: Michal Vasilko Kele
SLOVAKIA

FACES
DIRECTOR: Anton Sokolov
RUSSIA

FEAR
DIRECTOR: Maziyar Tehrani
IRAN

FLICKER
DIRECTOR: Hamish Anderson
UK

FOTO LA MINUT
DIRECTOR: Catalin Leescu
ROMANIA

GOOD MORNING
DIRECTOR: BU Kang Il
KOREA / USA

THE HOBBYIST
DIRECTOR: Justin Waite
UK

HONEY & BUBBLES
DIRECTOR: Antoine Breton
CHINA

IMMERSE
DIRECTOR: Anton Groves
ROMANIA / UK

KEEPING A DIARY SUPPORTS PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
DIRECTOR: Stefan Sagmeister
USA

LITTLE DINOSAURS
DIRECTOR: Dana Dorian
SCOTLAND

LOVEFIELD
DIRECTOR: Mathieu Ratthé
CANADA

THE MURDER
DIRECTOR: Cristian Smeu
ROMANIA

NAKED TRUTH
DIRECTOR: Robert Sveda
SLOVAKIA

NATURALEZA MUERTA
DIRECTOR: Benjamin Lee Gordon
SPAIN

NEW ORLEANS FOR SALE!
DIRECTOR: Brandan Odums
USA

NICK & KATE
DIRECTOR: Matthew Mishory
USA

QUICK
DIRECTOR: Pici Papai
HUNGARY

RAHIM URGE PE MAT RO
DIRECTORS: Devashish Makhija, Rajat Nagpal
INDIA

THE STAIRCASE
DIRECTOR: George Mangalath Thomas
INDIA

STITCHUP SHOWDOWN - GYM JAM
DIRECTOR: Oli Hyatt
UK

SUPPORT
Borkur Sigthorsson
ICELAND

WALL STREET
DIRECTOR: Gary Leib
USA

Throughout September, we invite you to view, rate, and comment on these films at www.filminute.com. On the site, you may also nominate your favourite film for the People's Choice award. You have one vote.

In parallel, the Filminute jury will award one film as "Best Filminute" and will also recognise five films with jury commendations.

"FORGET VENICE!", Selfridges says.

2008-08-29T13:45:00.000+01:00

Filminute, the international one-minute film festival, kicks off on Monday, September 1 and is set to witness its most successful edition yet.

Filminute at Selfridges runs 1 September – 19 October

1 Sept – 21 Sept in the Ultralounge, lower ground floor, Selfridges Oxford Street – London

7 Sept – 19 Oct in Selfridges’ Wonder Wall, ground floor in the Wonder Room, Oxford Street – London

All 2008 selected films also shown on filminute.com from 1 September

Admission free

Opening times (during store hours): Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 8pm – Thursday until 9pm - Sunday noon to 6pm

25 films shown in the Ultralounge non-stop (all the films in competition – exclusively)

Votes can be cast in the Ultralounge or online at filminute.com

2 main prizes to be awarded (Best Filminute Award and People’s Choice Award)

12 October - winners are announced

August 26 PRESS RELEASE

2008-08-26T14:44:00.006+01:00

LONDON/VANCOUVER, August 26, 2008 – Throughout the month of September, Filminute, the international one-minute film festival, will present an extraordinary array of 25 films from 16 countries, it was announced today by Filminute co-founders and executive directors John Ketchum and Sabaa Quao.

From September 1 through 30, festival-goers around the globe will screen, rate and vote on this year’s selection of 25 one-minute films at www.filminute.com. Filminute festival is complemented by broadband and conventional broadcasts, mobile screenings, and cinema and digital installations in London, Bucharest, and Toronto.

In making this year’s selection, Filminute programmers screened more than 1500 films and animations from 60 countries (an increase of 33 percent over last year, when films were submitted from 45 countries). Twenty-five films representing 16 countries have been selected for this year’s Filminute festival. Titles will be announced when the festival edition of the website goes live on September 1.

The third edition of Filminute will, once again, showcase films from Canada, China, Finland, India, Iran, Romania, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Films from Hungary, Iceland, Korea, Scotland, Serbia, and Slovakia are represented this year for the first time.

In addition to the “Best Filminute” jury prize and commendations, as determined by Filminute’s distinguished jury, the public is invited to vote for its Festival favorite and selects the “People’s Choice” winner. The Filminute awards are announced on October 12.

Organizers noted a surge in submissions from Eastern Europe, India and the U.S. and offer several possible explanations for the increase: the winners of the first two editions of Filminute were from Eastern Europe, and last year ten per cent of the festival’s site traffic came from India. As well, Sabaa Quao says, “The U.S. seems to have jumped on the idea of Filminute after the format and the genre have proven wildly successful in the rest of the world. The consistently strong international jury also continues to raise eyebrows and attract filmmakers.”

John Ketchum added that there was an increase in both the quantity and quality of films screened this year. “This year witnessed a marked increase in the number of films submitted by experienced filmmakers and production firms. This has resulted in a significant jump in the quality of cinematography, music scoring and sound design. Add to this the dramatic rise in the number of films featuring professional actors and you have the makings of a very exciting collection for Filminute audiences worldwide.”

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. Filminute 2008 promises to be even more successful, and organizers are predicting that audiences in more than 100 countries will view up to a cumulative 10 million minutes of film from this year’s selection. Coming even close would confirm Filminute’s status as the world’s largest film festival, in terms of audience size.

More information and full details are available at www.filminute.com.

blog.wired.com posting

2008-08-26T03:30:00.003+01:00

Filminute's Attack of the International Supershorts
By Hugh Hart August 25, 2008 | 11:50:47 AM
Categories: DIY, Movies, Video, Viral, Web/Tech

If those sprawling three-minute YouTube clips seem to drag on forever, Filminute, "the international one-minute film festival," might be right up your alley. Read more.

Selfridges, website posting

2008-08-25T13:07:00.011+01:00

LONDON - MONDAY 1 SEP 2008
Filminute
WHAT MAKES A GREAT ONE-MINUTE FILM?
That is precisely the question that Filminute puts to filmmakers, writers, animators, artists, designers, and creative producers worldwide.
http://www.selfridges.com/index.cfm?page=1316&articleID=11189&artname=Filminute

Selfridges, London screenings

2008-08-20T14:48:00.002+01:00

MILLION DOLLAR BABY DIRECTOR ON JURY OF THE BIGGEST SHORTS FESTIVAL
Paul Haggis is 2008 jury member of Filminute – the world’s most successful short films festival, staged in Selfridges.

Filminute at Selfridges runs 1 September – 19 October
• 1 Sept – 21 Sept in the Ultralounge, lower ground floor, Selfridges Oxford Street – London
• 7 Sept – 19 Oct in Selfridges’ Wonder Wall, ground floor in the Wonder Room, Oxford Street -
London
• Admission free
• Opening times (during store hours): Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 8pm – Thursday until 9pm - Sunday noon to 6pm
• Votes can be cast on site
• 12 October - winners are announced
---

Paul Haggis, the Oscar-winning director of Crash and Million Dollar Baby is one of the jury members about to review the films in competition in Filminute, the world’s largest and snappiest short films festival. His backing of Filminute re-inforces the growing status of this young festival and comes after Michael Ondaatje’s (The English Patient) own jury participation in 2007.

Selfridges is proud to support Filminute by providing the UK’s only venue in which all competing films can be watched, reviewed and appraised. The Ultralounge will be transformed into a fully-fledged cinema complete with plush seating and a huge screen, while the films will also be shown in Selfridges’ Wonder Wall, the showcase of intriguing artifacts and rare private collections situated in the store’s Wonder Room.

Filminute, now in its third year, is the international one-minute film festival dedicated to presenting, promoting, and awarding the world’s best one-minute films. The unique one-minute film festival format also has the particularity to have been created for the digital age. Originally born as an online only festival, in 2008 the event reaches out to a multiplicity of platforms, including television, mobile screens and movie theatres. In the UK, however, only filminute.com and Selfridges are showing all the films in competition.

Each September, 25 shortlisted films vie for jury-awarded Best Filminute honours as well as the People’s Choice award voted exclusively by film viewers around the world. Filminute’s inaugural year in September 2006 confirmed worldwide interest in the content and presentation of one-minute films as it attracted an unexpectedly high number of both submissions and votes internationally. This year, Filminute predicts that entries will come from over 60 countries, up 25% on 2007, and that audiences in more than 100 countries will view up to a cumulative 10 million minutes of film from the 25-strong selection in competition.

This would not only confirm Filminute as the most successful short films festival in the world but it would also officially place it among the three largest film festivals by measure of audience size and participation, alongside the Toronto International Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. Since its inception, Filminute has broken into the top 1% ranking of the most hit website during its autumnal festival period (as measured by Alexa.com, one of the most respected online monitoring companies in the world).

Filminute is open to all and accepts all entries on any subject – the only gold standard requirement is the one-minute duration of each film from the first frame to the last. The films are shortlisted down to 25 on the basis content quality, storyline and originality. Entry submission time ends at midnight on 20 August with the jury and the viewers voting process running from 1 September to 30 September. The results will be officially announced on 12 October.

###

TimeOut Bucharest, John Ketchum Interview

2008-07-24T13:19:00.004+01:00

John Ketchum, Filminute's co-founder, Head of Jury, and Bucharest resident, is featured in the current edition of TimeOut Bucharest (25-31 July). The article is in Romanian.

The Times, Zimbabwe

2008-07-22T02:27:00.006+01:00

The Times (Zimbabwe)
Hot Thangs - This week’s must-do

Variety, Festival Focus

2008-07-10T15:26:00.003+01:00

Click here to read the full article that appeared in the "Festival Focus" section of Variety online.

PRESS RELEASE, July 8, 2008

2008-07-08T08:23:00.007+01:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Filminute

Mini press releases

#SPAIN #NETHERLANDS AND #AUSTRALIA TAKE TOP AWARDS @FILMINUTE 2011

27 Sept 2011 coverage by WIRED.com

Filminute Festival Celebrates One-Minute Movies From All Over the World

Recent Press Releases

Rate this film!

REPRISE ★ The Weekend Guide to Filminute 2011 ★

@ArjunBasu comments on REVERIE

@ArjunBasu comments on LEVEL 13

@ArjunBasu comments on THE DAYS BEFORE THAT

@ArjunBasu comments on HAMBURGZ

@ArjunBasu comments on LOOP

Will the Filminute Jury agree with the People?

How many stars?

Filminute 2011 fast starters

Launch Press Release

WELCOME TO FILMINUTE 2011

emails alerting shortlisted filmmakers

Revving up the blog, once again

Ok, Oscars are done, and to us that means...

Gearing up for Filminute 2011

Nominate Filminute for a Mashable Award

UK, ROMANIA AND ICELAND TAKE TOP AWARDS AT FILMINUTE 2010

Facebook + VOD are more important than television...

Winding down on voting. Winding up for announcements :-)

Filminute tweet #1000

Really short takes, on really short films

Filminute on Feedback

Guest blog post from @ajenkins

Prize money versus prestige

Rate this film!

10 days, 107 countries, 2035 cities, and counting...

The Filminute promotional trailer.

Momentum, from Country to Country

Filminute and the Browser Wars

The Weekend Guide to Filminute 2010

"LIKE" Filminute on Facebook

Filminute Stats, Day 1

Everybody's a critic. ★ OR ★★ OR ★★★ OR ★★★★ OR ★★★★★?

WELCOME to Filminute 2010. Congratulations to the makers of these 25 films.

Submissions overview

The Filminute 2010 Jury

An imperfect "Thank You"

10 days left to submit your film

Join us.

Submissions..the home stretch

The usual reminder ;-)

Sound design and music...

Non sequitur...

Audiences from 122 Countries

And the winners are...

Recent campaigns for m.filminute.com for iPhone

Filminute PREVIEW video

Prior Press Release (Filminute on iPhone)

Prior Press Release (13 Countries)

Filminute Festival, Publicat la data de 24.09.2009 on 121.ro

I ❤ www.m.filminute.com #iPhone beta, part 3

I ❤ www.m.filminute.com #iPhone beta, part 2

I ❤ www.m.filminute.com #iPhone beta

@Filminute TweetStats

Women play too at Filminute

Twitterの１つぶやきが短編映画になった

Merci, Cyberpresse!

The Feel Good Film of the Year..., and other fine clichés

★ OR ★★ OR ★★★ OR ★★★★ OR ★★★★★ ?

Welcome to Filminute

Cinemagia — media partners at Filminute 2009

The Weekend Guide to Filminute 2009

Good Tweeting

The Guardian Weighs in on Filminute

Follow Filminute on Twitter

Twitter-inspired screenplay "LIFE" makes it to Fast Company

Three Twitter-Inspired Works of ArtBY Erica Westly Wed Sep 2, 2009 at 5:25 PMFAST COMPANY

60 WORDS ON 60 SECONDS is back!

Launched! Welcome to Filminute 2009!

Stretch Goals

Armen Antranikian in The Observer

Follow Filminute on Twitter

The mini highlight reel

Three Twitter-Inspired Works of Art
BY Erica Westly Wed Sep 2, 2009 at 5:25 PM
FAST COMPANY