Category Archive for ‘Babelgum Online Film Festival’ at Babelgum Blog

Babelgum Online Film Festival Blog

All Tomorrow’s Parties, Last Night

nelly on May 3, 2010

We threw a casual but effervescent party last night during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival to celebrate the 3^rd Babelgum Online Film Festival, with a class-A photographer and video crew from Workbook Project on hand to capture the flavor of the scene. No one was wearing a lampshade at the end of the night, but we had fun anyway before repairing to the SVA-2 Theater for a special screening of select BOFF3 films. Claire Reynolds, winner of the Runner-Up Jury Award in documentary for “In Recovery” was there to accept her cash prize, along with seasoned producer Rachel Talbot, accepting a Stoli Emerging Filmmaker Award on behalf of her film “Under the Covers with Chip Kidd.”

Media maven Jason Wishnow, one of the BOFF3 jurors, made the rounds, too, chatting up party attendees and doing the presentation honors. Click here to see photos from the event, which was sponsored by Stolichnaya Vodka. Also on hand to kick back and shoot the breeze on a balmy New York night were friends and colleagues from Shooting People, SnagFilms, FilmBuff, Oktane Media, Protein, and Film Movement.

What did they watch at the BOFF3 screening? Click here and see for yourself.

0 Comments

Babelgum Online Film Festival: 3 weeks left to vote!

catherine on March 11, 2009

Just a reminder for those wishing to have their say in our second Online Film Festival: you still have just over 3 weeks left to cast your votes (voting ends at 1pm GMT on April 2nd).

Watch festival entries in all four categories here, or focus on the individual sections for the Animation, Short Film, Mini Masterpiece and Documentary awards

If you’re not sure where to start or are looking for a specific entry, take a look at the full Festival program, here – where you can also leave comments and see which films other viewers have recommended.

Remember, you can vote either through our website or using the Babelgum Mobile application, currently available in the UK and Italy for the iPhone, Nokia N95, N96 and N6210 handsets.

Have fun and enjoy playing your part in our search for talented filmmakers!

1 Comment

2nd Babelgum Online Film Festival: watch and start voting today

catherine on February 2, 2009

The time has come for us to start screening the entries in the 2nd Babelgum Online Film Festival.

We’ve had more than 1200 submissions this year and have over six hundred films in the final competition. Here’s a reminder of the four categories:

Documentary, Short film, Animation and Mini-Masterpiece

We’re sure there’s something there for everyone. So just dip in and take a look at the entries – all competing for cash prizes of $27,000 each.

Make sure to vote for the films you like best as all votes go towards determining the final shortlist to be judged by Spike Lee.

You can start watching and voting from 1pm GMT today, February 2nd, and the voting period continues until 1pm GMT April 2nd, 2009. Go to the Babelgum Online Film Festival blog for updates as the Festival proceeds.

Now let the games begin!

3 Comments

Babelgum Online Film Festival: Deadline extended

catherine on December 30, 2008

We’re pleased to announce that so far we’ve received over 1700 entries for the second Babelgum Online Film Festival.

And there’s good news for filmmakers who have been busy during the holidays and have not yet entered the competition, as we have decided to extend the entry deadline until January 11th at 11.59pm GMT.

So if you’ve got a film, or multiple films, to enter in one of the four categories, now’s your chance.

Sign up for the Festival here, click on the “Submit your film” button, and make 2009 the year in which you win 20,000 euros ($27,000 +) in cash and an accolade from Spike Lee.

Watch this space for details of the screening and voting period, coming soon.

0 Comments

2nd Babelgum Online Film festival launched in Toronto

catherine on September 5, 2008

Following the hugely successful first edition, the Babelgum Online Film Festival is back!
With new awards, new categories, but the same mission: to reward talented independent filmmakers.

The announcement was made by Spike Lee at a press conference in Toronto, where the Toronto International Film Festival is currently in full swing.

We’re sure the standard will be as high as the first edition, with a few differences as far as the prizes and categories are concerned. This time round there will be 3 different kinds of award (including prizes of 20,000 euros); and 4 categories, including an exciting new section called “Mini Masterpiece”.

As in the first Babelgum Online Film Festival, the audience’s vote will be crucial in deciding the top 10 shortlists from which Spike and the professional jury pick their winners.

For more details see the dedicated website here.

3 Comments

Q&A with BOFF nominees/6

catherine on August 5, 2008

In the last of the series we talk to one of the nominees in the Animation Category:

Andy London, nominated for A Letter to Colleen

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival (if you’ve made others)?

It seemed like we had a chance at large exposure and we liked the innovative way to show our film.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?

Simply being online was something unusual and new. Also the unusual voting system. It was more democratic. Usually our films win awards and/or get recognition more randomly.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?

Yes, we will enter again next year. We will submit an excerpt to an animated feature we are working on. It will be the same world as A Letter To Colleen but a different technique – probably a combo of traditional hand drawn and cut out animation.

0 Comments

Q&A with BOFF nominees/5

catherine on July 29, 2008

They’re back again – this time we hear from the nominees in the Social/Environment category.

Emanuele Musarra – nominated for FILL

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival (if you’ve made others)?
FILL is my first important short. It’s not my very first one but it’s the one that I “felt” the most. Plus, FILL turned out to be pretty suitable for the web target (it lasts only 3 minutes but it’s very direct and loaded with meaning) even though the film wasn’t originally intended for this target.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
Babelgum is the first festival I entered by uploading the short to the server, without physically sending the DVD. It worked fine, even though the software was kind of a beta version. That was also the first festival that “forced” me to promote my film in order to make the shortlist. It was definitely an intense but important experience.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
I will enter again next year with my new work, a gallery of video nude portraits called Digitalnudes. It’s definitely video-art and I hope there will be a festival section for that.

Matt Adams – nominated for What is Tragedy?

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival (if you’ve made others)?
I chose “What is Tragedy?” not only because I wanted to showcase my community, but found it interesting that so many people within the same zip code had such different definitions for the same word.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
Having an international audience was wonderful. The audience played such a vital role in determining the shortlist. When I found out about the contest it was awesome to be able to display my work online in a full screen format with excellent picture quality.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
Of course I’ll enter next year! It was such a great experience and really enjoyed being a part of the festival. I won’t change what I do for next year…I’ll just add to and learn from what I’ve already done. I can only do what I do and hope that it strikes a nerve with somebody.

0 Comments

Q&A with BOFF nominees/4 part 2

catherine on July 22, 2008

Davide Pepe - BOFF nominee for Am ende des gartens sind zwei kinder in the Looking for Genius category

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival?
There are no particular reasons why I entered this short film. Actually I also entered 3 other short films: Little boy (presented in Panorama at the 56th Berlin film festival), Soluzioni di continuità and Body electric #1.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
The main difference is that most of the power is in the hands of the audience! Usually festivals have a first selection jury. [...] In this case the audience’s judgment, by the law of large numbers, is more reliable. It’s like a mathematical function: the more audience members cast a vote, the more you get an average close to the actual value of the work.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
Of course I will enter new work! Actually I would like to continue working in my own style. I need to make my short films the same as they appear in my mind.
I think it’s wrong to create a work to fit in better with the spirit of a festival. That’s why I hate most of the new filmmakers who are making films just because it’s cool and because it’s so easy to buy a new camera nowadays.
[...] Making interesting work today is very hard. We are close to a point in which everything has been said. So I think now there are a couple of options. You can try to say something by experimenting with [...] the language of cinema; or you can speak about yourself, about your feelings. There could have been 1,000,000 people who have already talked about your same story, but this is YOUR story and for this reason it is original and if you really feel you need to talk about it you should just do it.

0 Comments

Q&A with BOFF nominees/4 – part 1

catherine on July 12, 2008

Frédéric Monpierre, BOFF nominee for Les Anges Malicieux in the Looking for Genius category

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival?
I chose to enter this film because of its universal character. [...] It’s my most interesting movie I think, with something I have inside me. The others are films I just make just to make films while waiting for the chance to make another interesting one. As a filmmaker you make movies because you have a voice inside you telling you to tell the world about a subject inside you; or you make movies just because you love it. “Les Anges Malicieux” had both these motivations behind it. So that’s why I chose this film. It’s my most honest movie. Not because of the subject (love and tolerance), but because of these two reasons combined.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
The other film festivals that I have entered were not on the internet. The Babelgum Online Film Festival was my first online festival ever. The BOFF differs in that it’s accessible to everyone all over the world at the same time. “Les Anges Malicieux” is a film that can be watched by everyone no matter their language. So, for me, festivals like the BOFF are the best type of festivals for films like mine – or for any film [...]. Obviously, festivals like Clermont-Ferrand, Cannes, Venice or Berlin have greater visibility, but they don’t give the audience the same chance to watch the movies as the internet does.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
I’d like to. I have a script, but I don’t have a producer yet. It’s a movie which requires slightly more special effects. [...] So if I’m ready in time for next year’s BOFF, I will enter with pleasure. The fact that I’ve seen the other films in the BOFF doesn’t influence me in terms of subject or style. I write and do what I have inside me, no matter what others filmmakers do, although I can appreciate their work.

0 Comments

Q&A with BOFF nominees/3

catherine on July 3, 2008

In our third set of interviews with BOFF nominees, meet the music video directors who made it to the final stage of the Music Video Award.

Kristoffer Borgli, nominated for the Phantom Punch video (for Sondre Lerche)

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival (if you’ve made others)?
Because it’s a catchy and quirky video with an easy and clear concept, perfect for the internet!

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
It’s an online festival, where users can vote for their favourite. Plus Spike Lee was in the jury.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
Sure, why not! But I will never change my style to win a contest.

Markus Wambsganss, nominated for Lightning Bolts and Man Hands (music by Hymie’s Basement)

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival (if you’ve made others)?
Yes I made others, see www.kaliber16.com. “Lightning Bolts and Man Hands” just seemed to be the right one to submit.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
Well, it was the first online film festival I participated in and compared to “normal” film festivals it was way more “power to the people”.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
Yes, I think I’ll enter again next year. Don’t know if I should change much, it went down pretty well this year, didn’t it?

0 Comments

Babelgum Online Film Festival Blog

Categories