The search is on again for the best young Kiwi silent filmmakers in Aotearoa with the return of the International Youth Silent Film Festival (IYSFF) New Zealand Nationals 2021.
The IYSFF is a global competition that challenges young filmmakers from across the United States of America, Australia, The United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand to create a three-minute silent film set to one of 10 musical scores composed especially for the festival.
To enter the New Zealand competition filmmakers must submit their entries via the IYSFF global website (www.makesilentfilm.com) before submissions close at midnight on Wednesday 1 September.
The selected finalist entries will be screened at the IYSFF NZ National Awards at Baycourt on Thursday 11 November, 2021, with the soundtrack of each film performed live on Baycourt’s Mighty 1926 Wurlitzer Theatre Organ.
Not only are there 10 category awards up for grabs, the Top Two Kiwi films will also represent Aotearoa at the IYSFF Global Awards 2022 held in Portland, Oregon, US.
The IYSFF NZ Nationals 2021 is proudly presented by Baycourt Community & Arts Centre in association with Bay of Plenty Film and major media partner The Breeze Tauranga.
THE RULES
- To be eligible, all filmmakers must be 20 years or under as of April 15, 2021
- Use any one of the official IYSFF provided music tracks – just don’t modify it
- Make it suitable for all ages
- No copyrighted material
THEMES
For each submission, a filmmaker must choose one of the 10 pre recorded musical themes upon which to base the film. The 2021 themes are: Romance, Motown, Horror, Slapstick, Epic, Science Fiction, Western, Noir, Discover, and this year's new soundtrack Reflections.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- Films may be submitted in black and white, or color
- Films may be live action or animation
- Films must use at least three title cards-an intro card (with the film title, filmmaker(s) name(s), and age), at least one in the middle, and one at the end of the film
- Film running time should equal the soundtrack run time, approximately 3 minutes
- Films must be family-friendly/appropriate for viewers of all ages