TERRY WILLIAMS reminds would-be filmmakers that time is short for this year’s applications

12 FILMMAKERS, 6 Films, 1 Purpose, announces the publicity for Scottish Digital Shorts 2009. With the deadline for applications looming, senior members of the project team were in the Highlands and Islands this week on a last-minute promotional tour.

The project is managed by DigiCult Ltd, the Glasgow-based company involved in making short films all over Scotland. It will create a pool of new and emerging screenwriters and directors, to make films that can “surprise, challenge and delight international audiences”.

Good news for HI-Arts readers is that two of the 12 coveted places have been reserved for residents of the Highlands and Islands, thanks to recent funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, over and above the existing support of Scottish Screen, the UK Film Council, BBC Scotland, the Magic Lantern, and the Royal Scottish College of Music and Drama.

“We want to create fantastic stories for the screen,” said project producer, Ciara Barry, when she met students and visitors at the Gaelic college in Skye. “We need energetic, imaginative collaborators who are enthusiastic about working with us.”

She showed several 10-minute, low-budget films made by Digicult with emerging Scottish filmmakers, including Johnny Barrington’s action-packed Trawler; Benjamin Kracun’s evocative, dialogue-free Oh Lucky Man; and the Scottish BAFTA-winning Dupe by Chris Waitt and Henry Trotter, with its hilariously out-of-control cloning machine. The high quality, and wide range of storylines, technique and vision, gave the audience plenty food for thought. Questions and discussion flowed freely after the showing.

One student had a script ready for submission. Others simply had an idea or two. An embryonic art-and-music collaboration was tentatively put forward. Ideas, synopses, or scripts are all welcome, and Ciara said anyone interested should put in an application.

But there’s no time to lose. The closing date is 25th November; the 12 successful applicants will be announced in December; they will develop their script with the producers during the first three months of 2009, and production of the six chosen films is anticipated for the spring.

Guidelines and application forms are available from Digicult (see link below).

© Terry Williams, 2008

Links

• Digicult