Recent campaigns for m.filminute.com for iPhone

Filminute PREVIEW video

Filminute 2009 Showreel from Filminute on Vimeo.

Prior Press Release (Filminute on iPhone)

Prior Press Release (13 Countries)

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

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

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

:-)

I ❤ www.m.filminute.com #iPhone beta

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

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

I ❤ FILMINUTE

Women play too at Filminute

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

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!

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

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

★ OR ★★ OR ★★★ OR ★★★★ OR ★★★★★ ?

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

Welcome to Filminute

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

The Weekend Guide to Filminute 2009

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

THANKS Tweepism!

The Guardian Weighs in on Filminute

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

Follow Filminute on TWITTER throughout the festival.

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

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!

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!

Stretch Goals

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

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

Follow Filminute on TWITTER throughout the festival.

The mini highlight reel

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.

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

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

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.

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

- 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

COMING SOON

FILMINUTE 2008 PHOTOGALLERY

MORE IMAGES FROM FILMINUTE 2008 AND THE AWARDS SHOW

COMING SOON

Filminute launches 2 shows on the Adobe Media Player

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

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

blog.wired.com posting #2

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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
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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.

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TimeOut Bucharest, John Ketchum Interview

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

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

Variety, Festival Focus

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

PRESS RELEASE, July 8, 2008

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