Digital Shorts Launched!

NEW funding is being made available to Northwest filmmakers who want to make their mark on the big screen. Regional screen agency, Northwest Vision and Media, is joining with the UK Film Council's New Cinema Fund to unearth the next generation of filmmaking talent.

“Although we’ve run short filmmaking schemes in the past, in 2009 we’re re-freshing the format and will be running things a little differently,” explains Tara Cook, Head of Film at Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the digital and creative industries in the Northwest to grow a world-class digital and creative economy within the region.

There are now three separate strands to the short filmmaking scheme on offer at Northwest Vision and Media: Digital Shorts, Digital Nation (formally Digital Plus) and 4mations.

“In 2009 it’s our ambition is to produce a new generation of film-makers who are able to use digital technology creatively to tell stories in groundbreaking ways,” explains Tara. “All genres of film are welcome, including drama, documentary and animation, and a total of four Digital Shorts films will be commissioned early next year, with budgets of up to £13,5000 for each project.”

4mations is a new animation strand of the Digital Shorts scheme, which has its own guidelines and deadline date. 4mations Digital Shorts opened for applications on the 10th October and will close on the 10th November. If you are an animator then you should apply to that scheme through the 4mations website directly www.4mations.tv

“We want to see ambitious, original and thought-provoking proposals from developing animation talent. Preferred running time is three minutes, but we will accept up to maximum of seven minutes. After a period of development, we’ll select one animation to be commissioned through the 4mations Digital Shorts Scheme, with a budget of £15,000,” says Tara.

Digital Shorts is open to writers, directors and producers, living in the Northwest region who have a short film script they would like to make.

Digital Nation replaces Digital Plus and is for writers, directors and writer/directors who are ready to make the leap to more ambitious cinematic short films. Digital Nation will provide filmmakers with the opportunity to join a nationwide talent pool and participate in an intensive tailored development process designed to hone their voice as a filmmaker. At the end of this development process the UK Film Council will choose 12 films over two years, each to be made with a budget of up to £20,000.

· THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS HAS NOW PASSED