Press Release
DIRECTORS UK AND ARRI CHALLENGE ALEXA 2017 COMPETITION AHEAD OF MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY
10 November 2016
Directors UK, the professional association for British screen directors, is delighted to announce that the Challenge ALEXA competition is returning for its fifth year in 2017.
Next year marks the 100th anniversary of ARRI, the camera manufacturer, and to commemorate the occasion, Directors UK and ARRI have selected a relevant theme for this year’s challenge: Anniversary.
The competition, open to Directors UK members, will give directors the chance to win free access to ALEXA shooting equipment, and create new and original content in the form of a short film, short documentary, teaser trailer, commercial or music video, that incorporates the chosen theme.
The winning projects selected by the Board of Directors UK, will go into production with access to a free two-day ALEXA shooting package, of up to two cameras either an ALEXA SXT and/or ALEXA Mini camera with Master Anamorphic lenses with Flare Sets, and for the first time the use of ARRI Master Grips and the Maxima Gimble. The projects will be shot in two days and can be delivered by the end of April 2017 for a special screening.
Each year Directors UK hosts the Challenge ALEXA annual competition in a bid to encourage a varied range of stories from a diverse talent pool. Now in its fifth year the competition has grown bigger than ever, attracting many entrants annually, offering a rich mix of stories and genres, each one giving its own unique take on a set theme.
Abigail Berry, Member Services and Events Manager at Directors UK said: “We are so pleased to continue our working relationship with ARRI. This programme was developed to enable directors to fully express their creative vision, with the opportunity to use equipment they may not have had access to, and celebrate their work. So much of what we do for the Challenge Alexa competition is made possible through this great partnership and I want to acknowledge and thank them for their continued support, and congratulate them on their milestone anniversary”.
Milan Krsljanin, Director of Group Business Development at ARRI said: “Challenge ALEXA is all about nurturing talent. At ARRI we find it inspiring to work with such gifted filmmakers and to help them develop their potential. Producing movies is very challenging, but through our help we aim to also make it exciting and fulfilling for Directors UK members. Of course the best part of Challenge ALEXA is seeing their stories come to life on the big screen and flourish afterwards at festivals. It is an honour and a privilege to be part of that”.
Directors UK has also created an archive of films made by members from previous years. A range of comedies, dramas, teasers, test ads and the wide variety of projects that have been part of the Challenge ALEXA competition are available to watch at our website.
Next year marks the 100th anniversary of ARRI, the camera manufacturer, and to commemorate the occasion, Directors UK and ARRI have selected a relevant theme for this year’s challenge: Anniversary.
The competition, open to Directors UK members, will give directors the chance to win free access to ALEXA shooting equipment, and create new and original content in the form of a short film, short documentary, teaser trailer, commercial or music video, that incorporates the chosen theme.
The winning projects selected by the Board of Directors UK, will go into production with access to a free two-day ALEXA shooting package, of up to two cameras either an ALEXA SXT and/or ALEXA Mini camera with Master Anamorphic lenses with Flare Sets, and for the first time the use of ARRI Master Grips and the Maxima Gimble. The projects will be shot in two days and can be delivered by the end of April 2017 for a special screening.
Each year Directors UK hosts the Challenge ALEXA annual competition in a bid to encourage a varied range of stories from a diverse talent pool. Now in its fifth year the competition has grown bigger than ever, attracting many entrants annually, offering a rich mix of stories and genres, each one giving its own unique take on a set theme.
Abigail Berry, Member Services and Events Manager at Directors UK said: “We are so pleased to continue our working relationship with ARRI. This programme was developed to enable directors to fully express their creative vision, with the opportunity to use equipment they may not have had access to, and celebrate their work. So much of what we do for the Challenge Alexa competition is made possible through this great partnership and I want to acknowledge and thank them for their continued support, and congratulate them on their milestone anniversary”.
Milan Krsljanin, Director of Group Business Development at ARRI said: “Challenge ALEXA is all about nurturing talent. At ARRI we find it inspiring to work with such gifted filmmakers and to help them develop their potential. Producing movies is very challenging, but through our help we aim to also make it exciting and fulfilling for Directors UK members. Of course the best part of Challenge ALEXA is seeing their stories come to life on the big screen and flourish afterwards at festivals. It is an honour and a privilege to be part of that”.
Directors UK has also created an archive of films made by members from previous years. A range of comedies, dramas, teasers, test ads and the wide variety of projects that have been part of the Challenge ALEXA competition are available to watch at our website.
Full requirements and application details are available at the Directors UK website. Deadline for applications: Wednesday 30 November.
- DIRECTORS UK is the single voice of British screen directors representing the creative, economic and contractual interests of over 6,000 members – the overwhelming majority of working film and television directors in the UK. Directors UK campaigns for the rights, working conditions and status of directors in the industry and works closely with fellow organisations in the UK, Europe and around the world to represent directors’ rights and concerns. It also promotes excellence in the craft of direction both nationally and internationally, and champions change to the current landscape to create an equal opportunity industry for all.
- ARRI is the industry-leading provider of technology and services for motion picture, television and commercials productions. ARRI’s ALEXA digital camera system is behind Oscar-winning movies such as The Revenant and Birdman, and is ubiquitous on the sets of blockbuster feature films worldwide. ALEXA is also the camera of choice for countless television productions, with 28 of the top 30 UK dramas having been shot on ALEXA, from Doctor Who and Sherlock to Victoria, Poldark, Cold Feet, Call the Midwife, Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones and more.
- ARRI will provide fine-tuned shooting kits – light and compact, yet delivering image quality worthy of a movie screen for a truly cinematic experience.
- Further information can be found at www.directors.uk.com/about/challenge-alexa
- Directors UK social media handle: @Directors_UK #ChallengeAlexa
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