Slamdance Film Festival added a micro-shorts competition to its 2015 lineup, TheWrap has learned.
The independent film organization partnered up with camera company Digital Bolex to produce “Fearless Filmmaking: Art on Your Own Terms,” a block of micro-shorts which will be shot on the company’s D16 cameras screened at the January, 2015 festival.
The curated group of micro-shorts will be judged by Amber Benson (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), director Todd Berger (“It’s a Disaster”), music cinematographer Laura Merians, Emmy nominated writer Kent Osborne (“Adventure Time”) and Oscar-winning producer Damon Russell (“Curfew”), each of whom is a Slamdance alumni. The best micro-short film will be announced at the festival’s Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Jan. 29.
In addition to the block of shorts, Digital Bolex creative director and camera co-developer Elle Schneider will moderate a “Fireside Chat” panel focused on diverse perspectives behind the camera.
“As a camera company ‘for filmmakers, by filmmakers,’ we’re extremely proud to partner with Slamdance, the film festival ‘by filmmakers, for filmmakers,’” said Elle Schneider. “Our mission at Digital Bolex is to provide affordable tools that enable artists to create work on their own terms–the fearless filmmaking by innovative voices that Slamdance has been famous for discovering over the last two decades.”
For the program, Digital Bolex and Slamdance will select pitches from Slamdance alumni, 2015 filmmakers, and an open call for entries on the Digital Bolex website. Selected Slamdance filmmakers will receive a Digital Bolex D16 loaner package, including a camera, lenses, and post-software, to create their film. Participants will have six weeks to shoot a finished film, which will premiere at Slamdance.
“We are excited to be partnering with Digital Bolex to offer such an inventive micro-shorts filmmaking competition to our independent filmmakers alongside this year’s Film Festival. This continues our mission to expand the creative landscape for independent filmmakers,” states Slamdance Co-Founder & President, Peter Baxter.
Slamdance Film Festival kicks off Jan. 23, 2015 at Park City’s Treasure Mountain Inn.