Press Release
SIX FILMMAKERS SELECTED FOR ARRI SHORT FILM COMPETITION
5 April 2018
Directors UK, the professional association for British screen directors, and ARRI, the industry-leading camera manufacturer, have teamed up once again for their annual Challenge ALEXA Competition.
Six deserving filmmakers have been selected to take part in the competition, now in its sixth year.
The competition, open to Directors UK members, gives selected candidates access to ALEXA shooting equipment, for two-days for free, to 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 of “Delight”.
The projects - selected by the Board of Directors UK – have been granted access to an ALEXA SXT and/or an ALEXA Mini camera with Master Anamorphic lenses with Flare Sets. The projects will go into production in March 2018, and each will need to be shot in two days.
All six of the Challenge ALEXA films Will be screened at a special Directors UK event at the Ham Yard Hotel on Monday 30th April 2018, including:
Belittled, by Claire Tailyour, a colonial fairy-tale about Amira, a teenage girl, enslaved in a child's dolls house in Victorian England.
Special Delivery, by Robert Hackett, a romantic drama set in London, in which an anxious young woman is forced into action when the postman walks straight past her door on Valentine’s Day.
Unseen, by Lotus Hannon, a dark, Cinderella-like tale with a twist inspired by some of my favourite East Asian Cinema.
Hello Stranger, by Beryl Richards, an intimate film that looks closely at the dynamics of one small family and how an adopted child can change everything.
Evie, by Miranda Howard-Williams, a science-fiction short looking at the issues and blurred lines of sexual fantasy and reality, and its impact on society.
The Bicycle Thief, by Stewart Alexander and Kerry Skinner, a short film from the perception of a young girl on a bike, riding through a beautiful location in South-East England.
Laura Adams, Head of Member Services at Directors UK, said: “Our partnership with ARRI for this competition is one of the most popular annual events at Directors UK. Both this drama competition, and the new ARRI doc competition, allows filmmakers to fully express their creative vision, with the opportunity to use equipment they may not have had access to. The support ARRI continues to give is vital, I hope our work with ARRI continues to inspire and provide members with better access into work and opportunities.”
Milan Krsljanin, Director of Group Business Development at ARRI said: “It is very gratifying to see how well members of Directors UK are using ALEXA Challenge as an opportunity in developing their own careers. Over the years, we produced numerous festival winners, teaser/trailers that helped raise funds for producing full length features as well as some very attractive visual experiments. I am sure this year’s Delightful shorts will just raise the bar.”
Earlier this year, Directors UK and ARRI partnered to launch a new competition for factual filmmakers, The ARRI Doc Challenge, which gave directors the chance to win free access to ALEXA cameras and shooting equipment to create new and original short documentaries that incorporated the chosen theme – Millennial. The winning film, Where the Land Falls, by Martin Kemp was awarded with a cash prize of £3,000.
Additional information about the ARRI drama and documentary filmmaking competitions are available on the Directors UK website at https://www.directors.uk.com/
** ENDS **
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.
Author
