M O B I L E. F I L M. F E S T I V A L – France

I will be writing more about mobile film festivals. However, first we should know about the pioneer on the concept of mobile film festival 😉

 

The first mobile film festival in France was held in 2005 and it’s anually. The concept is the participants are to make a short film (1 minute max.) with their mobile phone in 3gp video format and upload it at the mobile film festival official site before the deadline. There will be a month of voting opened to the public, and the winners of each categories are to be announced in the beginning of the next year.

 

Just as we expect from the very romantic home of exquisite arts, France. This festival is a serious festival with a panel of experts on film, music, and journalistic as the jury. Just to mention a bit : the President of the Jury is Jan KOUNEN , and the member of the jury are Leila BEKHTI, Paul DESVAUX, Geraldine NAKACHE, TÉTÉ, and Philippe VANDEL.

 

The competition has two types of awards, the one given by the jury and the one voted by the public. The awards given by the jury are :

`The Best Mobile Film (Prix du Meilleur Film Mobile). D’Prize = € 1,500
`The Best Scenario (Prix du Meilleur Scenario). D’Prize = € 500
`The Best Sequence Shot (Prix du Meilleur Plan Sequence). D’Prize = € 500
`The Best Actor (Prix du Meilleur Acteur). D’Prize = € 500
`The Best Actress (Prix du Meilleur Actrice). D’Prize = € 500
`The Best Mobile Technical Exploitation (Prix du Meilleur Exploitation Technique Mobile). D’Prize = € 500

And the award of the most voted by the public is PRIX DU PUBLIC, with prize of € 500.

 

The 2nd Mobile Film Festival 2007 has ended at 29 January 2007 and there were 38 finalists. The winner of The Best Mobile Film is “Le Virtuose” by Camille de Vitry. It’s such a peaceful and quite funny short film 🙂 The main character is a little baby playing on his flutes.. *can you believe it?* Such an EXTRAORDINARY baby, isn’t it? ^^;

 

However, the sound of the flute that makes it so unique, yet feels so intimate.

 

Nevertheless, “Le temps passe“ by Yannick Aleksandrowicz also stands out of the crowd. The solo dialogue by an old woman speaking in France with a very heartbreaking background song, just makes me stunned. The emotion is so intense. The director has picked the right song.
*Btw, the beautiful song is a soundtrack of a very popular France film, “Amelie“. The song is titled “La Valse d’Amelie (Piano Version)*

 

Now, the 3rd Mobile Film Festival 2008 has started. The vote will be open in 8 – 29 January 2008. The results will be announced at the beginning of February 2008.

 

Watch the films of the 38 finalists of the 2nd Film Festival in the Mobile Film Festival official site.

 

ps : click on the films’ titles above to watch the exact titles only 😉

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MOBILE FILM FESTIVAL-The Next Generation of Film Industry

I saw a TV show about what’s going on in Europe in this month of celebration of Christmas. In one of the overviews, I was attracted to one interesting event took place in Germany, a “mobile phone festival”.

Yes, I just realized how it is such a great concept! Looking at the rapidly developing mobile technology, from the mobile with only basic features of text messaging and making phone calls to picture messaging, voice messaging, camera and video, multimedia comprising messaging, Internet access, video call and even a GPS mobile that could guide you to the place you are going to. Just as quoted at one of articles about the mobile technology, “These changes are redefining people’s lifestyle and are opening up new frontiers, also in film making”.

In 2005, a mobile phone film festival debuted in France, and has expanding globally to Taiwan (1st Mobile Film Festival in Asia Pacific in 2005), Germany (EDiT Mobile Film Festival), and Japan (1st Pocket Film Festival in 2007 at Yokohama).

 

Part of the appeal of this type of work is that it is generated by one person or a small group of people working with inexpensive equipment and editing tools. MobileCrunch reported earlier this month that in the future you will control 25% of entertainment by 2012. Mobile phone entertainment generated by peer groups is predicted to become part of daily life. A film festival honoring this type of artwork is a well founded concept.

“The cell phone is an extremely personal tool. It’s almost part of your body,” said Jean-Louis Boissier, a French media artist and professor at University of Paris 8. “Half the world’s population owns a cell phone,” he said. “Art that comes from such numbers holds potential for historic change.”

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