An organization that fosters the creative use of Super 8 on a global scale – straight 8 – is accepting entries in the 2016 edition of their film competition. Anyone, anywhere can enter to make a short film on one cartridge of Kodak Super 8mm motion picture film. The contest is designed to inspire creativity using a beloved format that is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a unique visual medium. Top winning entries will be screened at the 2016 Cannes International Film Festival in May, and a wider selection screened in London in early June.
Participants must sign up to enter by February 29 at straight8.net/enter, and finished films need to be submitted back to straight 8, exposed but undeveloped, by April 4.
“We think everyone who makes a straight 8 film is amazing,” says Ed Sayers, founder of straight 8. “People enter from all over the world and give their all to making a film in one of the hardest ways on earth – no retakes, no editing, no post production. Whether they triumph or go down in blaze of glory, they've all taken something away from it and into their creative lives.”
With sponsorship from Kodak and Cinelab, straight 8 will provide one roll of Kodak Vision3 200T Color Negative Film 7213 to those who enter, and then process and scan the submissions that are sent back. A jury of pros, amateurs, organizers and volunteers watch the films, without any grading or editing, and choose which ones make the Cannes premiere. Contestants see their films for the first time at the premiere.
At screenings, straight 8 projects the Super 8 clips and syncs them to their soundtrack. Soundtracks must be original. The maximum length of each film is restricted by the cartridge length, which is 3 minutes and 20 seconds. For more information on rules and regulations, visit http://www.straight8.net/rules.
Previous, well-known participants have included Edgar Wright, Slavek Hörak, Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Rich Fulcher and Julia Davies. The level playing field that straight8’s rules create attracts many filmmakers from beginners to seasoned pros. Many have fed their straight 8 experiences into much bigger projects.
For more information, check out straight8.net/testimonials.