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To kick start the New Year, The List joins forces
with Metro Ecosse to launch a new national short film competition that's open to everyone over the age of 16.
Paul Dale explains what the competition is aiming to achieve
he American lndustrialist and
philanthropist John D Rockefeller may
have had a point when he wrote that ‘All competition is a sin.‘ But let‘s face it some competitions are less reprehensible than others and indeed. by that same measure. some competitions (notice the use of the plural) are good. moral and indeed virtuous.
One such competition is One Minute Wonder. a national film prize that is being launched by The List this month. Developed in association with production company Metro licosse. our aims are true and simple. We want. with your help. to create five one minute films. which will he put into a showcase and then shown across liurope. The reason we want to do this is to highlight the fantastic new talent that we know is out there. both tapped and untapped hy the Scottish film industry. We‘re also keen to highlight the great facilities that are availahle for making films in this country.
Launching on Friday l2 January. we will he asking for admissions of one minute scripts from anyone over the age of lb. The scripts will represent Scotland and incorporate this year’s theme — WlLl)! The deadline for admissions will he liriday lo March.
A team of judges (which includes eminent Scottish filmmakers. short film programmers. Scottish Screen representatives and film critics) will choose five winners who will he announced in The List maga/ine on Wednesday ll April. The winners will then see their films shot and edited hy Metro licosse. In late July the films will he screened at various Scottish cinemas hefore being taken to some liuropcan film festivals and then ultimater on to New York where it is hoped
14 THE LIST 4- 18 Jan 2007
that they will he screened during Tartan Week in 2008. There are loads of guidelines availahle for your perusal along with an entry form on our award winning wehsite (www.list.co.uk) htit hest of all there are pri/es galore. Not only will you see your film tnade with guidance hy the professional team at Metro licosse and then distrihuted across liurope hut there will he one to one lilmmaking sessions with judges and a chance to visit a film set for one day. plus a whole load of List goody hags. which will include l)Vl)s. hooks. (‘l)s and much more. The
SHORT FILMS ARE THE CRADLE FROM WHICH ALL GREAT TALENT IS NURTURED
judges will also choose an overall winner who
will win an iBook with full lilmmaking facilities. kindly donated by Metro licossc.
So what do readers and the team at The List get out of this'.’ It‘s not just for that fu/Iy feeling of warmth you get from encouraging major new talent. The list of lilmmaking greats who have come through short films and commercials (the ultimate commercial short film form) is almost endless. and if we can help identify the next feature film giants. we can hring them to your attention earlier. Here are a few of the more prominent filmmakers to have kicked off their careers with short films: Ridley Scott (started in car commercials). Alan Parker (shorts and commercials). Lindsay Anderson (documentary shorts). Todd Solond/
(truly insane musical shorts). Alexander Payne (ditto). Tim Burton (animated shorts). Peter (ireenaway (avant garde shorts). Stephen l)aldry (coming of age shorts). Lynne Ramsay (natural realist shorts) and so on and so on. The point is that in the heginning there was and is short films; they are the cradle from which all great talent is nurtured. The List and Metro licosse want to ensure that more Scotland- hased talents are nurtured.
(‘hatting to Metro licosse’s company director ()scar Askin. l was reminded of just how exciting this is for everyone involved on the organisational side. l-‘or The List it will he the first time that we have done a lilmmaking competition of this sim and for Metro licosse. says Askin. 'This is going to he so exciting and totally different for us. We work for big corporate houses. hig hlue chip companies. that‘s what we are usually involved with. so it is exciting for us to he involved with something so creative where people can just let their imaginations go daft.’ Askin does however register a note of caution for any contenders hrought tip on hig hudget hlockhusters. ‘You know with a competition like this. people will need to use their imaginations instead of huge hudgets. so if someone wants to make a film set in the Bahamas we are going to have to find a part of (it'anlon that looks like the Bahamas now that will he a challenge!‘
All details, guidelines and registration form about One Minute Wonder, The List National Film Competition, are on www.list.co.uk now. Follow the links from the main page.