10 Oct11

Filminute 2011 Awards

by Filminute

Filminute is very pleased to announce the winners for this year's 6th edition of the festival on MUBI Garage. The collaboration with MUBI has been fantastic, allowing the Filminute festival and its filmmakers to reach a larger audience with not only the films but behind the scenes and background information as well.

This year the festival's top award, BEST FILMINUTE, goes to Aritz Moreno (Spain) for his film LOOP. In spite of a very strong race featuring some fantastic films, LOOP still managed to come out a clear winner – testimony to the film's original narrative, subtle direction and overall completeness. Audiences the world over expressed gratitude and awe at what this film was able to deliver in 60-seconds all making it a very deserving winner!

This year's 5 Jury Commended films, in order of preference, go to REVERIE (Belgium), OBLIVION (Netherlands), HAMBURGZ (USA), NO MAN'S LAND (Australia), and DOT IN THE LINE (Pakistan). It's worth noting that the last spot on the Jury Commended list had 5 films vying for it and required a great deal of discussion before DOT IN THE LINE was chosen. The close contenders for that final spot were NAUFRAGO, followed by FAMILY PORTRAIT, LEVEL 13, and CARA O SELLO.

This year's People's Choice Award goes to OBLIVION by Shariff Nasr (Netherlands). With audiences tuning in this year from a record 132 countries and festival engagement levels at their highest ever, the race was incredibly tight with OBLIVION narrowly beating out THE FALLEN, NO MAN'S LAND, with LOOP and REVERIE not far behind.

Finally, we like to extend special congratulations to this year's Top Rated winner NO MAN'S LAND from Dominic Chambers (Australia). For the first time in the festival's history a film has scored an average rating of 5-stars, underscoring one of the most powerful acting performances in a one-minute film we've ever seen.

Thank you to all the filmmakers for their fabulous films as well as for their incredible levels of interaction. Never before have we seen such keen enthusiasm and use of digital technology to promote and drive audiences to the films and festival.

And a special thank you this year to you the MUBI audience for your support and enthusiasm. We encourage you to all watch the 2011 Awards video, to comment on the films on the Filminute MUBI Garage page, and to follow us on the Filminute Facebook page where we will continue to share more insights about this year's festival and soon provide updates for Filminute 2012.

We will also have more in store for MUBI fans so stay tuned for an announcement in the coming weeks.

1 Comments

06 Oct11

Filminute - Voting Closed

by Filminute

The closing of the voting phase at Filminute is always exciting. The last few days traditionally generates a spike in traffic as people respond to the end-of-voting messaging that we send out over an ever-expanding universe of (mostly) digital communications channels.

This year, we’ve also seen our 25 shortlisted filmmakers contribute to the marketing effort promoting their films to a global audience. This effort combined with our own forays into new distribution territories (including MUBI!) have given us clues around what we want to further leverage for 2012..

The highlights of the last month start with the content. Our 6th year of scouting and programming lead to a record 16 premieres in the collection – more than double any previous year. Media also responded very favourably to the collection with blogs, radio, newspapers and television in many countries covering the festival. Social media, in general, has proven itself to be our strongest marketing tool.

So now, its about counting and confirming the votes and deliberating with the jury before officially announcing the winners this coming Thursday, October 6th .

0 Comments

30 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR KRISTOF DEAK FOR "HONFOGLALÁS"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

In the 10th century, the Hungarian horse archers had a Europe-widely feared arrowing technique. They used to fire backwards, from their horses. Nowadays, the far-right radicals use it as their symbol. How do they imagine it in practice? I’ve tried to visualize it.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

It has won the 2nd prize at the Budapestian jury on the “Are we Europeans!?” 1minute short film competition. I was surprised, but really happy with this.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

The car what we used as a police car, was my mom’s civil VW. We put hand-made stickers and a siren on it.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

There is no place to beat around the bush! We have to be straight.

What camera / editing software did you use?

Canon EOS 550d, Adobe Premiere CS4

1 Comments

29 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR JOKER_L.K. FOR "BUNNY VS THE SWEET IRON CAT"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

It is about an Extremely environmentally conscious rabbit and a violent iron cat made by an evil scientist. When they meet, it’s a collision! This story is only a prelude...

What did you hope to achieve with it?

The film is a crossover effort between my studio “Flowers & Monkey”,and Furyanimals.com. And I wanted to let the people know about the two characters.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

Haha,! when I made this movie, there were many power outages. So I must emphasize to everyone – constantly press ctrl+s!

What makes a great one-minute film?

Idea and script.

What camera / editing software did you use?

Maya,photoshop,After Effects

1 Comments

28 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR ERIK SCANLON FOR "NEVER THOUGHT"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

My dad use to work for a shipping and boxes factory and I had access to use it. I knew of the location because during the Holidays, when I came up from school, I would help out during the week for an extra bit of cash. You spend many hours a day executed monotonous tasks like the ones seen in my film. I only worked there a couple weeks of the year but I could only imagine what it was like for every one else who had to stay there to support a family or themselves. We decided to write a short story about a man dealing with day to day misery within the walls of this box factory. His dreams are lost to a life that seems to be slipping away and a painful physical ailment make it difficult for him to be grateful for his job.

I called a really good actor friend of mine, Laurie DeSeguirant the day before I had access to the box factory for shooting and he had to hesitation to help me out on this project. We filmed for about 6 hours when no one of there one Saturday morning and we got what we needed using one light and a Canon 5D MKII.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

This film is for every working man or woman who does what it takes to support themselves and/or their families, even if they aren't happy at their job.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

Laurie DeSeguirant was actually already certified to drive the fork lift, which came to my surprise when I asked if he had ever driven one before.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

I like the challenge of the one minute format because it forces you to really know your theme and message inside and out. Within a time frame of seconds, if your message is strong and clear, you did your job as a storyteller.

What camera / editing software did you use?

I shot on the Canon 5D MKII and we edited it on Final Cut Pro.

0 Comments

27 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR FEDERICO FORCOLINI FOR "LEVEL 13"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

I've always been drawn to the eeriness of underground car parks. Their labyrinthine quality playing havoc with my sense of direction, as I've helplessly wondered through them trying to remember where I parked my damn car. A perfect place for a Minotaur to take refuge from the modern world.

This coupled with my fascination towards the often unusual characters that inhabit seemingly mundane worlds and occupations, led to the idea for this short film.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

To tell a story that would surprise and entertain and make the viewer perceive the seemingly mundane in a new light.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

As the shoot progressed the chickens hanging off the hooks on Mark Benton's body armour began to rot and tear off the hooks with every step, not to mention the stink. Mark was a top sport throughout though.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

Forcing the filmmaker to distill all the elements in his/her creative arsenal without compromising the effectiveness of the story.

What camera / editing software did you use?

Red One camera. Edited and graded using Final Cut Studio

0 Comments

26 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR JUAN PABLO ZARAMELLA FOR "AT THE OPERA"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story your film?

It’s a funny idea that came to me thinking on the idea of combining behind materials, like liquids, vegetables. At first, I thought on a series of ideas about music, but after finishing it, I felt that it worked itself.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

With this specific film, I only hope to make people laugh. That’s all.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

I cried a lot shooting the last scene!

What do you like about the one-minute format?

You have to be precise and clear.

What camera / editing software did you use?

I used a Canon 400D with Dragon Stop Motion

1 Comments

25 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR ANDREI STARUIALA FOR "FAMILY PORTRAIT"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

The idea was born by writer Martin Kreuch. The concept was to build a dramatic family moment timed by the microwave.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

The story is set after a family argument during dinner. I wanted to capture a domestic violence abuse without showing any physical mistreatment.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

The girl who sits at the table (Uma Redpath) is actually the daughter of cast member Deborah Whyte.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

The challenge that you are forced to make every second matter in order to obtain a coherent film.

What camera / editing software did you use?

Arri SR2 / Adobe Premiere Pro

0 Comments

24 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR DOMINIC JACKSON CHAMBERS FOR "NO MAN'S LAND"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

The basic concept for No Man’s Land came to me years ago and has always sat in the back of my mind. The idea came out of wanting to tell a character driven story simplistically with maximum impact, so the thought of sharing a very honest and vulnerable moment led to what it is today. Consequently the film has grown from here and evolved into what you see now. Filminute was the kick it needed to be made into a reality and with the opportunity to display small shorts to a large audience it worked out perfectly.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

My main goal with No Man’s Land was to create an emotional connection with the audience and have them walk away having felt something real.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

We only had a very short time to shoot, as the lighting conditions would change rapidly under the forest canopy. We managed to get the best and last take just moments before we lost natural light.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

The best thing about the one-minute format is that it forces filmmakers to think creatively and hone their story telling skills. It’s amazing what you can fit into just a minute if you put your mind to it.

What camera / editing software did you use?

The camera we used for the shoot was a Canon 60D with a 70-200mm lens. For editing we used Final Cut Pro and for post sound we used Protools.

1 Comments

23 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR YASUYUKI KUBOTA FOR "GRASSY KNOLL EDGE"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

I actually had the ides that the character mentions in the film (except for the last one) for new business propositions and a film pitch that I thought were “too obvious” to consider putting my hands on literally. (I would love to buy a coffee maker with a timer if there’s one though!)
But then, I thought they may work for something else, like a one minute short. And so I just added the last idea to conclude it as the film.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

That I don’t know… Maybe share my ideas for business proposition?

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

Wrote script on email and sent to the actors and cinematographer the day before the shoot. Went to the beach to scout the location on the day of the shoot. I originally wanted to shoot it on the beach and title it “The Beach – not by Danny Boyle” but shooting on the beach we wanted was strictly prohibited. So we went around and found the spot we shot and titled it to Grassy Knoll Edge. Kyle, one of the actors, came up with the title.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

Direct, straightforward, simple and sometimes fast way to come across with the idea.

What camera / editing software did you use?

Shot on Canon 7D, sound recorded on iPhone, color corrected on After Effects, Edited on Final Cut.

0 Comments

22 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR SHARIFF NASR FOR "OBLIVION"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

In some homes for the elderly, as well as in psychiatric hospitals, patients are still being physically attached to their beds when they are “too much of a bother” for the nursing staff. This method is very counter productive and only makes the situation worse for the patient.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

In the Netherlands, as of this year, the use of the Swedish strap in homes for the elderly is not allowed anymore (after 7 patients had died because of it). However, the so called ‘Bratex strap’ is still used. I hope this film will cause more awareness about this subject.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

Because of the subject, tt was really hard to find a home for the elderly that wanted to help us with a shooting location. Fortunately, after much searching, we finally found a great nursing home that wanted to help us. It was also good to see how great and respectful their way of working was with their residents.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

I really like the challenge to tell a story in such a short time.

What camera / editing software did you use?

Final cut pro.

0 Comments

20 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR MANUEL VELÅSQUEZ ISAZA FOR "CARA O SELLO"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

All my stories are about hard hearted women… perhaps I´ve got a little trauma? I hope I’m not the only one.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

The simple telling of a story, one that people enjoy and say at the end, “Hey, that was a good one!”

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

We built a film gang called -Delincuencia Films- with Mr. Héctor Álvarez (Camera & Post-Production) and Mr. Sebastián Bueno (Cinematography). The three of us had a great creative connection and shot the film in 80 minutes, running the whole time because we had to give the camera to another team. We shot this filminute inside a very special place: La Escuela Nacional de Cine (Bogotá).

What do you like about the one-minute format?

It is short enough to easily get the audience's attention yet offers sufficient space to convey a great story.

What camera / editing software did you use?

We shot on RED and made post on Adobe Premiere Pro.

0 Comments

20 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR BAUKE BROUWER FOR "THE FALLEN"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

The journey for The Fallen started during Filminute 2010 when I realized the importance of social media during the voting process. Gumboots was a finalist but I had no press material and I really needed it during the voting process. So at this time my mind started thinking about Filminute 2011 and what I could do differently. My first step was to announce that my next film for 2011 would be The Fallen. I created a facebook group and invited friends, family, fans of filminute and Gumboots to join the group. Since then I have documented my filmmaking process through the group. From initial story ideas, to cast, locations, crew and gear requirements. Its all on the facebook group.

I have always been a huge fan of WW2 films so I have to admit that I like so many others wanted to make a war film. I didn’t want to make a war film just for the sake of war but I wanted to tell the story of South African involvement during this time. Through research I discovered the sacrifice made by South African soldiers and realised that in today’s South Africa, this is a history that is not often talked about. This part of South African history is seen as Euro-centric, part of the “old” South African government. Today’s history books are all about the apartheid years. Rightfully so though but I believe that we can’t forget this part of our heritage. What also brought this story to life for me was that my wife’s grandfather, aged 94 and still alive and willing to share stories of his days fighting in North Africa and Italy. This just demonstrated to me that this part of our history wasn’t that long ago. So with this in mind I was determined to tell this story.

The biggest challenge for The Fallen was that it was a period film on a tiny budget. During the research period, I walked into a army shop and asked them if they had any WW2 South African uniforms. The answer was negative but he gave me the number of the guy who always comes into the shop and buys all the WW2 stuff. I called him and discovered he was one of the founders of the Heritage Group. The Heritage group purpose is to pay respect to the fallen soldier of WW2 irrespective of their nationality. I met up with Anton Hart and he offered me all the uniforms & props that I would need. So this film is only possible because of the Heritage group getting involved. I now had a period film.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

The filminute version is slightly different to my original version but The Fallen is a tribute to the 12084 South African soldiers that died during WW2. Having completed the film I also believe that it has a more universal appeal as it deals with friendship and loss and that is something we can all relate too.

The story, which is told in The Fallen is not restricted to 1945, it is a story that could be set in Iraq currently and would still have the same emotional impact.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

I really wanted a rain machine for the scene where Tommy delivers the letter. But being a no budget production it wasn’t possible. So I shelved that idea . I was really disappointed because I knew it would just add so much to the scene. But on the day of the shoot it rained, it poured and when it wasn’t raining we filled in the rain with a sprinkler. All credit for this idea goes to Bennet, our gaffer.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

The magic about a 1 minute short film is that you can concentrate all your efforts into each frame. When you are working with a tiny budget (a few hundred dollars) every cent that you spent is visible. I have friends who create 15 minute short films and all their efforts are diluted because there is just so much time to fill. One minute is also commercial length so for a filmmaker who is trying to establish himself as a commercials director this is a great platform. For me The Fallen is also going to be used as a PSA for the Heritage Group which is another great opportunity and exposure as a director.

What camera / editing software did you use?

I was very fortunate to shoot with the Red with Cook prime lenses. Editing, FCP for the first time.

0 Comments

19 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR OLIVIA CACIULEANU FOR "AFTERMATHEMATICS"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

I was with a group of friends and a whole lot of gossip was going on, and it suddenly dawned on me that nowadays not only whores are being paid for their sexual services, but also ex-girlfriends for 10 minutes of their time.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

We did it for the glory.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

We shot the film in a day in an open air playfield (very guerrilla of us) and then edited it in the same night because we couldn’t wait to see it.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

It’s like writing short stories.

What camera / editing software did you use?

We filmed on Canon 5D, and we edited it in Sony Vegas.

0 Comments

18 Sep11

FILMINUTE 2011: 5 QUICK Q’S FOR DIRECTOR NICK BLACK FOR "EVIL WEED"

by Filminute

Filminute and MUBI Garage are working together and will be introducing you to this year's participating filmmakers. You can see this year's line-up on MUBI Garage and vote here by becoming a fan of the film and on Filminute until September 30th.

What is the story behind your film?

The Evil Weed takes a shine to poor Rosie, but goes too far and ends up doing some abominable things. Just abominable.

What did you hope to achieve with it?

I wanted to see what nature looks like doing things considered evil in a human context, since the weed is basically nature’s serial killer.

Any anecdotes / trivia from the shoot you want to share?

I had the idea and made the film that night – I finished editing the next day – the animation was pleasingly simple to make as the weed is just one single slithery limb.

What do you like about the one-minute format?

I find that if you minimise your tools and parameters, you maximise your creativity, and thinking of ideas becomes easier.

What camera / editing software did you use?

Canon 1000 Rebel XS, Adobe Premiere

0 Comments