[release from SPAA]
September 19, 2008 marks ‘D day’ for all aspiring filmmakers to enter the prestigious DigiSPAA competition and have the chance to win $15,000 cash and $20,000 worth of post-production, a guaranteed screening of their film on the Movie Extra channel, plus a return airfare and free registration to the prestigious CineMart International Film Festival Rotterdam.
DigiSPAA continues to prove itself as a launching pad for local directors with past competition winners making waves in the local and international film industry. 2006 DigiSPAA winning writer/director Stefen Harris (The Waimate Conspiracy), has been granted the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles in September for a year-long mentorship on the set of Martin Campbell’s (Casino Royale, 2006) movie adaptation of his classic TV series, Edge of Darkness, starring Mel Gibson.
2007 DigiSPAA winner John L. Simpson is also receiving accolades for his film Men’s Group, which he produced with director Michael Joy. Men’s Group will have its theatrical release in Sydney on 18 September at the Sydney Theatre Company followed by a limited screening at Chauvel Cinema from 22 September. As well as this, in 2008 the film has been invited to screen at the Rotterdam Film Festival, The Warsaw Festival, The Copenhagen Festival and The Melbourne International Film Festival, amongst others.
With only 4 weeks to go until entries close, there’s no time to waste! Eligible films need to be feature length, with a running time of at least 70mins, independently funded, digitally produced and completed to advanced post-production stage no earlier than 31 August 2007.
DigiSPAA finalists will be screened at this year’s SPAA Fringe conference on 24th and 25th October at the Chauvel Cinema and judged by an expert industry panel based on the quality of the films and the filmmakers’ ability to demonstrate a clear marketing plan across a range of digital platforms. While delegates and speakers of SPAA Fringe will be able to attend the screenings, tickets will also be available to the public.
The winner of the prestigious DigiSPAA Award will be announced at the SPAA Conference in November on the Gold Coast. The winner will be introduced at the SPAA Conference to prominent international and local delegates, providing excellent exposure to the top dogs of the industry.
Judges include Melanie Coombs, Producer of the Oscar winning Harvie Krumpet; Antony I. Ginnane, President of IFM World Releasing Inc.; Geoff Brown, Executive Director SPAA; Daniel Scharf, Producer of Geoffrey Wright’s AFI Award-winning Romper Stomper; and Colleen Meldrum, Program Director of Movie Network Channels.
Applications close on Friday September 19, 2008. For full details, application form and guidelines go to www.spaa.org.au