LONDON: Filminute, the international one-minute film festival, is pushing for entries from South Africa. Reasons for targeting South Africa's filmmaking and artistic communities, according to Filminute's executive directors John Ketchum and Sabaa Quao, are the African nation's recent influx of prestigious international film awards (including the 2006 Oscar for Tsotsi), its rich literary tradition, and the wealth of experience it has accrued through a decade of intense international commercial television and film production.
“The ability to tell a truly great story in just 60 seconds requires, above all, a deep understanding and appreciation of strong narrative. Countries with vibrant commercial production communities and powerful storytelling traditions consistently produce some of the best narrative one-minute films. It's true of the UK and the US, of emerging film hotspots like Spain and Romania, and we're sure South Africa will prove this as well,” says Ketchum, also Filminute cofounder and head of jury.
Jury
To encourage filmmakers from around the world, Ketchum has gathered an eclectic, contemporary, and international mix of luminaries from the filmmaking, literature, arts and communications industries. In September 2007, the Filminute jury will lend their experience and insights to determine the award and commendations for Best Filminute 2007.
Jury members include:
- Michael Ondaatje – award winning novelist and poet whose Booker Prize winning work The English Patient was adapted into an Academy award and Bafta-winning film by Anthony Minghella. Ondaatje is also the author of The Conversations: Walter Murch & The Art Of Editing Film, a non-fiction work that explores the uniquely powerful role of the editor within the creative process of filmmaking.
- Kevin Roberts – CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the world's leading creative organisations, employing over 7000 people in 83 countries. Also the author of Sisomo:The Future on Screen, a book that looks at the central role of sight, sound and motion and the impact these element have in accelerating emotional connections in the digital age.
- Samira Makhmalbaf – award-winning Iranian filmmaker whose 1998 film Sib (aka The Apple) was accepted to the official selection at Cannes Film Festival, making her the youngest director (18) to achieve that feat. Makhmalbaf has gone on to win numerous international awards, including Cannes jury prizes in 2000 and 2003.
- Kenichi Kondo, The Mori Art Museum Tokyo – as a curator with a specialty in video art, Kenichi Kondo has been responsible for strengthening the Mori's focus on contemporary art and culture through his various initiatives including the massive 2006 Bill Viola retrospective and his 2007 John Wood and Paul Harrison Show.
- Klaus Eder – general secretary of FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique), the international body of professional film critics and film journalists based in Munich. FIPRESCI awards carry great distinction and are given out at the world's leading film festivals to films that advance the art of cinema.
“In 2006, Filminute engaged and entertained audiences with the one-minute format – especially when a film delivered a great story that resonated beyond the one-minute limit,” says Ketchum. “I'm thrilled with the group we've assembled for 2007 and can't wait to see how they judge what is bound to be an even stronger shortlist of international films and filmmakers.”
Critical incentive
Anton Groves, whose UK-Romanian co-production ‘Line´ won 2006 Best Filminute honours, says that while the exposure and increased work was the most satisfying aspect of making the Filminute 2006 shortlist, the jury was a critical incentive. “Top caliber individuals from the film and creative industries are a big motivator. When you've only got one-minute to grab these people with a film, you embrace the challenge with a lot more discipline than you initially expect.”
Filminute 2006 jury member Ekow Eshun, artistic director of London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, says that Filminute “demonstrated a high level of polish and a strong and exciting progression in user-generated content. Filminute has raised the bar in its first year and I am very interested to see how high the bar can go.”
The deadline for entries into Filminute 2007 is Monday, 20 August 2007. For more information, go to www.filminute.com. Visit the Filminute screening room to view the 2006 winners.
