Young creatives across regional WA will once again don filmmaking caps as CinefestOZ announces THE SWITCH as the theme for the 2023 Cinesnaps Short Film Competition, open to secondary students from the South West, Great Southern, Geraldton and Broome.
Offering two age categories (Year 7-9 and 10-12) the competition launched this October, with Entry Packs ready to download from cinesnaps.com.au. This early launch gives students 8 months to complete their entries which are due by 30 June 2023.
Aimed towards highlighting the film festival’s commitment to student filmmaking across WA, a cash prize of $1000 will be handed to the winning team of the 10-12 category, with a choice of cinema tickets for remaining winners.
CinefestOZ chief executive Malinda Nixon was thrilled to offer such a substantial prize and said it was an indication of how much the program had grown over the years.
“The quality of entries is always inspiring. While the expanding use of technologies is evident each year, film is always about strong visual storytelling, which regional youth seem to have a real talent for.” she said.
“To see our young, regional students stepping into filmmaking with Cinesnaps and then using their learnings to pursue a career in Australian film – that’s what it’s all about.”
Ms Nixon went on to say she couldn’t wait to see how students played around with “The Switch” theme.
Each year the Cinesnaps Short Film Competition invites regional students to create and showcase an original 3 to 5 minute short film based on a specific theme. Finalists are then selected to screen at the glamorous youth-focused red carpet Grand Finale event hosted as part of the CinefestOZ Film Festival each August.
The Cinesnaps Short Film Competition is part of Cinesnaps, a dynamic Schools Program for students and teachers that has engaged more than 47,000 regional students since it began in 2008. CineOnline is another aspect to the program and aims to support students thinking of entering the competition, with a variety of online digital workshops on filmmaking disciplines such as directing, sound and editing.
The Cinesnaps program wouldn’t be possible without the generous funding of Festival sponsor and community partner Rio Tinto.
Rio Tinto Regional FIFO Communities Manager Justin Francesconi said the creativity and technical skill seen each year at Cinesnaps was testament to the young talent in regional WA and the inspiring mentorship students received at school and through the Program.
“Rio Tinto is proud to sponsor Cinesnaps and delighted to see the competition expand into the Mid-West. Cinesnaps provides a great opportunity for young people to get curious about digital technology and hone their skills,” he said.
In 2023, CinefestOZ Film Festival will take place between August 29 and September 3, and those interested in entering the Short Film Competition can download the Entry Packs now at https://cinefestoz.com/cinesnaps/short-film-competition/entry-pack/