Call For Filmmaking Talent!

Now in its seventh year, supported by Screen South and KCC Arts Investment Programme, this month sees the launch of 2 Days Later 2009, complete with a fully re-vamped website that contains full information, a trailer for this year’s event, and the opportunity to view previous year’s award winning films.

The Hours are Numbered

The aim of the competition is to devise and produce a chilling 10 minute short film within 48 hours. Entrants are required to feature three items from a given list as part of their film productions.

Featured on ITV Meridian and BBC Local News, Kent has proven itself a hotbed for showcasing talent, with a back-catalogue of over 200 films made especially for the competition from all over the UK and Europe. This year’s films will be screened at The Halloween Screen Event in the haunted Theatre Royal Margate, on October 31st 2009.

Still from Russuell Gomm's Blood Relative (2008)

Since the competition began in 2003, the organisers have been pleased to see many of their first-time filmmakers go on to train and succeed in careers within the media industry; with some, such as Herne Bay’s Russell Gomm, to then form Aurora Pictures and win Best Film in the Kent Film Festival 2008. Dominic Currie, from Surrey, who first cut his teeth in filmmaking as a regular and very successful competition entrant, won the Mark Ravenhill Guardian You-Tube Film Challenge 2008, to receive a year’s mentoring by top Channel 4 TV producers.


Still from last year's best popular film The Ukulele Killer, produced and directed by Dominic Currie

Previous Nottingham based Best Film 2007 winner Shawn Robert-Smith’s The Soldier, succeeded to gain national cinema release with Showcase Cinemas in October 2008.

Still from Shawn Robert-Smith's multi-award winning film The Soldier (2007)

‘Horror was the obvious choice for our festival, as it appeals to the novice filmmaker and everyone can have a go. It’s about accessibility. We want people to not get too worried or scared about the process of making a film, and not spend too much time or money on it either. As we tell them - All you need is a camera and a bottle of ketchup!’ says 2 Days Later co-director, Mick Etherton. ‘It’s amazing how many enquiries we receive each year from all over the globe. We get fantastically well made films of all types, from traditional zombie flicks to more sophisticated psychological productions. Films made with digital stills cameras, and one past entry was actually awarded BEST FILM 2007 by our Film Industry Judging Panel, made on only a mobile phone!'

This year’s judging panel is still to be confirmed, but previous judges have included:
Kim Newman, multi-award-winning journalist, author & broadcaster; contributing editor to 'Empire' and 'Sight & Sound' magazines
James Moran, Screenwriter, Severance; Torchwood; Dr Who
Jo Nolan, Chief Executive Screen South -UK Film Council Regional Screen Agency
Barry Basset, Managing Director of VMI High Definition and Broadcast
John McGhie, Director of Programmes Kent TV
Philip Ilson, Co-Director, Halloween Short Film Festival / Shorts Programmer, Curzon Soho and a member of Film Network's Industry Panel
Mike Shaw, Film correspondent KM What’s On,Founder/editor-in chief of The Void, entertainments’ website

Prizes will be awarded in a variety of categories including Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actor. There will also be an audience vote for Best Popular Film. The filmmakers are competing for the opportunity to develop their career by winning a week’s hire of Broadcast Quality High Definition full camera kit from Soho sponsors VMI High Definition and Broadcast.

Entrants can access the competition brief here. The closing date for entries is 5pm, Wednesday 30th September. The lead producer must be 18 or over to enter.

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