Pauline Adamek
KCETLink Media Group, a leading national independent nonprofit public broadcast and digital network, has announced a call for entries for the 18th annual FINE CUT Film Festival, a collection of short films from students and emerging filmmakers that range from cutting-edge animation to the best in documentary cinema. Interested filmmakers can submit their short films (25 minutes or less) up until Jan. 31, 2017 for consideration at kcet.org/finecut. For the first time, honorees from the festival will have an opportunity to be a part of the most important event on the global film calendar, the 70th annual Cannes International Film Festival thanks to a partnership with The American Pavilion, the epicenter of American hospitality and communication at the world’s largest film market.
Go here for more information, including FAQs and contest rules, as well as how to submit your short film.
All short films selected as part of the FINE CUT Film Festival will be included in a series of one-hour broadcast episodes on KCET public television in Southern California and also on Link TV nationwide (DirecTV 375 and Dish Network 9410) that will air in summer 2017. Additionally, three of the winning films from The American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase competition will be featured in the FINE CUT broadcast series.
All accepted shorts are eligible for awards in the competition. Top films will be judged by an expert panel in two categories: Emerging Filmmakers Competition and Student Filmmakers Competition, as differentiated below. All films are also eligible for a third category, the Viewers Choice Competition, where filmmakers will have a chance to have their peers vote online. Winners of the three categories will be selected as part of The American Pavilion’s Emerging filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival, which will take place in late May. Each filmmaker will receive five- night accommodations through The American Pavilion plus $500 cash to go toward air travel. Winners will be notified April 11, 2017.
Student filmmakers from a Southern California film school ranging from Santa Barbara to San Diego also have the chance to win The Jack Larson Southern California Student Filmmaker Award, where the winning filmmaker will receive a cash prize to be determined.
The festival is a tribute to FINE CUT founder Jack Larson who was an American actor, librettist, screenwriter and producer who may be best known for his portrayal of photographer/reporter Jimmy Olsen in the 1952-1958 television series “Adventures of Superman.” In the late 1990’s Larson approached Southern California’s KCET with the idea of creating a student film series that would provide talented students with the much needed opportunity to have their short films selected for television broadcast. Larson understood how difficult it was for young filmmakers to get broad exposure for their work because, typically, student work is only seen at special screenings and film festivals. Larson thought that public television was an excellent platform for providing critical visibility to emerging filmmakers. KCET shared Larson’s enthusiasm and together they created FINE CUT, which continues to be a flagship program for KCET today.
For consideration in the Student Filmmakers Competition: Student filmmakers must be enrolled or have been enrolled in a film school at any time from January 1, 2015 to January 31, 2017. All short films selected by the expert judging panel will be part of one of ten one-hour broadcast episodes, and all accepted shorts are eligible for awards in the Competition. Short Films must have a total running time of 25 minutes or less, including credits. Shorts may not have been released on DVD, broadcast on television or the Internet and still remain eligible for our Shorts Competition.
For consideration in the Emerging Filmmakers Competition: Emerging filmmakers are defined as non-student filmmakers with films completed in 2015 or 2016; who have some evidence of professional achievement but not a substantial record of accomplishment; and who are not recognized as established artists by other artists, curators, producers, critics, and arts administrators. All short films selected will be part of one of ten one-hour broadcast episodes, and all accepted shorts are eligible for awards in the Competition. Short Films must have a total running time of 25 minutes or less, including credits. Shorts may not have been released on DVD, broadcast on television or the Internet and still remain eligible for our Shorts Competition.
Join the conversation on social media using #FineCut
ABOUT KCETLINK MEDIA GROUP:
KCETLink Media Group is a national independent, nonprofit, digital and broadcast network that provides high-quality, culturally diverse programming designed to engage the public in innovative, entertaining and transformative ways. With a commitment to independent perspectives, smart global entertainment, local communities, and opportunities for engagement and social action, KCETLink depicts people and the world through a lens unavailable elsewhere in U.S. media. A viewer-supported 501(c)(3) organization, KCETLink content is distributed nationally via satellite on Link TV DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410 and on KCET in Southern and Central California via broadcast and cable, as well as through various digital delivery systems. For additional information about KCET and Link TV productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org or linktv.org. Select programming from KCET and Link TV is also available for streaming on Hulu, Apple TV, and Roku platforms.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN PAVILION:
The American Pavilion, celebrating its 28th year as the epicenter of American hospitality and communication at the Cannes International Film Festival, brings together both professional and emerging filmmakers along with industry executives from across the globe. A sought after destination for information, orientation, and recreation, it accommodates the needs of its members, guests and sponsors in a dynamic business environment. With its impressive array of amenities and services, AmPav provides an opportunity to relax in very comfortable surroundings.
The American Pavilion boasts the Roger Ebert Conference Series which offers insightful and provocative panel discussions and in-conversations with filmmakers, talent and top leaders; a restaurant and bar that provide fast service with a smile throughout the day and is open to all festival badge holders after 6:00pm most evenings; a coffee bar; complimentary WiFi and charging stations; a media terrace with a panoramic view of the Riviera; the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase; the Culinary Program featuring chefs from across the US and Canada; the Worldwide Student Program; and public and private rental for parties and receptions.
Brian Sonia-Wallace
