Last year, Columbia College film professor Wenhwa Ts’ao’s “Arithmetic Lesson” won. Her 15-minute dramatic film about Gracie, a seven-year-old Chinese American girl, who finds courage to defy and survive the traumatic abuse of her caretaker was a winner in the Shortcuts annual short film competition. Will you be the winner this year? Grab your camera. The deadline to enter with your film is August 1st, so you have time to enter your masterpiece video of 15 min. or less.
The Illinois Film Office (IFO) fourth annual Shortcuts contest, a statewide short film competition designed to encourage growth in Illinois’ film industry, is looking for the best short films, and the contest is open from now until August.
Any Illinois resident over the age of 18 and students over the age of 18 who attend Illinois colleges and universities can enter. The winner will receive a cash prize and the winning film will be screened during the Chicago International Film Festival in October.
“Shortcuts is gaining more and more recognition as a great opportunity for up-and-coming Illinois filmmakers to showcase their talent and gain greater exposure. At the same time, it provides the film office with another great tool for promoting Illinois’ exceptional film industry,” said Betsy Steinberg, Managing Director of the IFO, which is a division of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). “I encourage filmmakers of all levels of experience to participate in this year’s competition, which we anticipate will be bigger and better than ever.”
Working in a any format – film, video, graphics and/or animation – tell a narrative story, create a documentary or go with a free form visual expression of ideas. Submissions must be 15 minutes or less in running time. The panel of judges are film industry professionals. Submissions must be postmarked by August 1st, 2011, and the rules and details are online.
Illinois’ economy got a lift from the recession in 2010, by hosting big budget projects like “Transformers 3“, “The Dilemma”, “Contagion” and “The Chicago Code,” as well as numerous smaller projects. State officials are looking to build positive momentum in 2011 with a number of TV pilots and movies in the works.
The Department of Commerce and Economic Development (DCEO) and the IFO are dedicated to advancing Illinois’ reputation as a world-class film destination. From promotion and marketing the state as an ideal shooting location for films, television shows and commercials, to encouraging the training and hiring of Illinois residents who represent the diversity of the state’s population, the IFO is working to connect Illinois to the big screen here and everywhere.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACTS:
March 2, 2011 Marcelyn Love 217-558-1542
Mike Claffey 312-814-3957
Illinois Film Office Launches Fourth Annual Shortcuts Competition
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