Press Release
MILLENNIAL FARMER DOCUMENTARY WINS ARRI SHORT FILM COMPETITION
1 March 2018
Producer, writer and factual director Martin Kemp was announced the winner of the very first 2018 ARRI Doc Challenge, for his short documentary film, Where the Land Falls.
The film was selected by a panel of industry experts as part of The ARRI Doc Challenge, a new competition for factual filmmakers from Directors UK, the professional association for British screen directors, and ARRI, the industry-leading camera manufacturer.
The winning film, Where the Land Falls, a three-minute documentary, covered the story of Ed Strawbridge of Down Farm, in North Devon, a third-generation dairy farmer, looking at photographs from renowned photographer James Ravilious, who documented the fast disappearing rural life of North Devon in the 1980’s. In the film Ed reflects on recent past and how the farming life has changed during his lifetime.
The theme for the short documentaries competition was “Millennial”. As the winner of the competition, Martin received a cash prize of £3,000.
“For me, having the chance to play with the ARRI Amira for three days was an unmissable opportunity. It’s a wonderful camera and I very quickly fell in love with it. The challenge to shoot and edit a film in just three days is certainly tough but it’s a great discipline. Plus you have the privilege of being able to make the piece you want to make without commissioning editors!” said Martin.
A special showcase screening of the shortlisted projects offered audiences a rich mix of stories, each one giving its own unique take on the theme, including:
Altruistic, by Emma Edwards. A story of same sex surrogacy and importance in gay rights and family law in the UK.
The film was awarded the runners-up prize, of a place at the ARRI Lighting Academy. ARRI Academy is the best route for users of all abilities to gain hands-on knowledge of ARRI products and workflows, and build their on-set confidence.
Street Food, by Victoria Thomas. An observational style documentary features a generation of pop-up restaurant owners in their determination and ambition to bring a taste of their heritage to a more global audience in an increasingly borderless world.
Free, by Christine Lalla. This film looks at millennial workers and their career prospects, as they study for jobs that either may not exist or will be done by robots in the future.
Tendai Chitawuro, Member Services Assistant at Directors UK, said: “This competition for factual filmmakers was created to encourage a varied range of stories from a diverse talent pool, giving aspiring directors access to cameras and equipment they may never have used or even considered before. As an organisation which represents screen directors working in all mediums, it is very important that we recognise the important impact that the factual genre has within the industry for both emerging and established directors.”
Milan Krsljanin, Director of Group Business Development at ARRI said: Collaborating closely with Directors UK, we are providing opportunities for their members and their crews to develop their careers in a practical way of working with the finest filming technologies in pursuit of bringing cinematic aesthetics to documentary filmmaking. All four selected shorts are delightful on their own and together they bring a broad and multidimensional perspective on Millennials and the ways they wish to live their lives. A real treat to watch them altogether.
Directors UK and ARRI will host two annual filmmaking competitions as part of an ongoing campaign to encourage a more diverse and inclusive industry for all who aspire to enter and progress in the audio-visual industry.
Additional information about the ARRI drama and documentary filmmaking competitions are available on the Directors UK website at https://www.directors.uk.com/
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
ABOUT DIRECTORS UK
· Directors UK is the professional association of UK screen directors. It is a membership organisation representing the creative, economic and contractual interests of over 6,500 members - the majority of working TV and film directors in the UK. Directors UK collects and distributes royalty payments and provides a range of services to members including campaigning, commercial negotiations, legal advice, events, training and career development. Directors UK works closely with fellow organisations around the world to represent directors’ rights and concerns, promotes excellence in the craft of direction and champions change to the current landscape to create an equal opportunity industry for all.
· Further information and a copy of the new contract terms can be found at www.directors.uk.com
· To become a member of Directors UK for access to training, benefits and discounts, please visit www.directors.uk.com/join or contact us directly at [email protected]
· Directors UK Social Media handle: @Directors_UK
ABOUT ARRI
· 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 Bird Man, 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.
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