Two short ‘made for mobile’ films Marree Man and Begging for Change from the MobiDocs anthology have been nominated in the factual category of the 2007 MIPCOM Mobile & Internet TV Awards. And, in a recently signed deal with BigPond, all ten two-minute MobiDocs will be available for Australians to download to their Telstra Next G™ mobile phone later in the year.
The MobiDocs: Confessions in a Digital Age anthology is Film Australia’s first venture into producing content specifically created for viewing on mobile phones. The project is a co-production of Film Australia and the National Film Board of Canada.
Marree Man, directed by David Batty, tells the mysterious story of the world’s largest land drawing and Begging for Change, directed by Dave Jones, is a surreal journey inside an animated city based on the stencil artwork of Meek.
The prestigious MIPCOM Mobile & Internet TV Awards recognise creative excellence for short form audiovisual entertainment content, with this year’s competition attracting over 280 entries from 38 countries. The awards ceremony takes place in Cannes on October 10.
‘We are particularly thrilled to be honoured on the international stage with the MIPCOM nomination and delighted that Telstra Bigpond has come on board to distribute MobiDocs to mobile phone users.’ said Film Australia CEO Daryl Karp.
The success of MobiDocs comes amid Film Australia’s emergence into several areas of new media, with a focus on exploring diverse mediums to deliver programs to audiences. In 2007, with a variety of co-production partners, Film Australia launched the following initiatives:
MobiDocs – ten two-minute short films for mobile phones based on the theme ‘confessions’.
Change the World in 5 Minutes – showcases how everyday actions can make a difference to the world.
Life at 2 – explores the next stage of development for the 11 young Australians in the Life series.
Moving History – a cross-platform interactive history of Film Australia.
Film Australia Digital Learning – a free, national, educational online resource.
Mobidocs executive producer for Film Australia is Anna Grieve. Marree Man was made by Rebel Films (producer Jeni McMahon, director David Batty). Begging for Change was made by Transcience/Meek/Lemonade (producer Jessica Beirne, director Dave Jones). Mobidocs is a co-production of Film Australia and the National Film Board of Canada.
[release from Avviso PR for Flim Australia]