THUNDER BAY -- Aspiring filmmakers with an idea in hand, the Bay Street Film Festival has a contest for you.
The organization, celebrating its 10th year in 2014, is inviting the public to submit their film ideas, with seven finalists being given the opportunity to pitch their idea in front of an industry jury for the right to make their movie.
The grand prize is a $2,000 budget to make the movie, along with $5,000 in in-kind services from Flash Frame Film and Video Network.
Festival president Kelly Saxberg said there are plenty of would-be moviemakers in Thunder Bay and the surrounding region and said the main mandate of the annual event is to promote local films and local stories.
“Last year I think we had 18 local films in the Bay Street Film Festival. And I think we’ve shown nearly 100 local films over the 10-year span. So that’s why,” Saxberg said.
“We have a filmmaking community that has grown over the past decade and we really want to celebrate that. That’s the full point of the Bay Street Film Festival.”
Saxberg added she expects between 50 and 60 story ideas to be submitted between Aug. 1 and the Hatch A Film contest cut-off, Aug. 25 at 11:59 p.m.
The rules are simple:
- Only one submission is allowed per person.
- Entrants must be 18 or older at the start of the contest and have completed at least one independent film or video work.
- Film proposals must be at least one minute long, but no longer than five, excluding credits.
- Entrants must be able to attend the contest pitch night, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 5.
- Ideas must be original, conducive to a short-film format and demonstrate artistic vision.
Applications forms are available at www.baystreetfilmfestival.ca.
“Or you can drop by our office, which is now at 314 Bay St., above the Hoito in the hall, and you can pick up your application and fill it out. Then our jurors will select seven finalists. The seven finalists will be given the opportunity to pitch their idea to an audience and a jury. They’ll have three minutes to do it and then they’ll have a quick question and answer,” Saxberg said.
The jury will make the final decision, with input from audience voting.
