Now accepting submissions for June.
Did you just complete your thesis film? Or are you sitting on a short film (under 20 minutes!) that you made as part of a film program some time in the past three years? Now is the time to submit because we’ve decided to make June’s Short Film Contest a STUDENT FILMMAKER CHALLENGE! Questions about eligibility? Shoot us an email at contest@hammertonail.com.
Since 2008, we at Hammer to Nail have committed ourselves to spreading love for all the great and often underseen films made on a dime and fueled by a love for cinema. Until this year we have focused on films on the festival circuit, in theaters, and available on home video and VOD. Now we are taking the next step with our Short Film Contest, which aims to seek out the best short work—of all genres and styles, made by filmmakers from all over the world—and help to get that work seen and discussed by our dedicated audience of online cinephiles.
Monthly winners will receive a full review by one of our critics on hammertonail.com, the opportunity to share their film with our readers, and submission waivers to several major U.S. film festivals, worth over $200. Your submission to these festivals will come stamped with a Hammer to Nail seal of approval (*please note, you will still be responsible for submitting your film through the proper channels according to the terms of each festival*). We will also continue to support and promote your film throughout its life on the festival circuit. Perhaps most importantly, all finalists will have their film judged by a rotating panel of industry insiders like Ted Hope (Double Hope Films), Jeff Deutchman (IFC Entertainment), Chris Horton (Sundance Institute) and Richard Lorber (Kino Lorber Inc.); filmmakers like David Gordon Green, Lena Dunham, Craig Zobel, Alex Ross Perry and the Safdie brothers; and film critics from our experienced group of contributing writers as well as previous contest winners..
If you have a completed short film (19-minutes-and-59-seconds or less!) that you want the world to see, submit it by June 1 to be considered for this month’s competition. The fee for entry is $30. Participating film festivals include: Hamptons International Film Festival, Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, Starz Denver Film Festival, New Media Film Festival and New Orleans Film Festival! Visit each festival’s website for submission deadlines and other details.
June Judges:
- Josh and Benny Safdie were born into a familial tornado and raised in Queens and Manhattan. Their work has played at galleries and many international film festivals including Cannes, Venice, Locarno, Sundance, SXSW, Los Angeles, the Viennalle. Josh’s first feature The Pleasure of Being Robbed was hated and loved by Americans and appreciated more generally by the French. Their first feature film together Daddy Longlegs won the John Cassavetes Award at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards and earned Ronald Bronstein a Gotham Award for his visionary, legendary and heartfelt performance. It was released theatrically in the United States and around the world. Their most recent short films John’s Gone world premiered at the 67th Venice Film Festival, and The Black Balloon won the Sundance Film Festival 2012 Jury prize for Best U.S Short film and subsequently went on to win the Wolphin award at SXSW 2012.
- An industry pioneer with over thirty years experience, Richard Lorber is the President and CEO of Kino Lorber Inc., the 30 year leader in the release of acclaimed world cinema, award winning american independent films and classics. Kino Lorber, with a distinguished library of over 700 titles, acquires and releases over 25 new films per year theatrically on its four labels, Kino Lorber, Kino Classics, Alive Mind Cinema and Redemption (euro cult and horror) as well as over 60 per year digitally and on DVD and Blu-ray.
- Jonas Carpignano is an award winning filmmaker based in New York City and Rome. His shorts have been shown in numerous film festivals around the world. His latest short film A Chjàna won the Controcampo Italiano Award for Best Short Film at the 68th Venice Film Festival and received a Special Mention at the 2012 Nastri D’Argento from the association of Italian Film Critics (SNGCI). It was also the third winner of the Hammer to Nail Short Film Contest! Jonas is an alum of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab where he received support for his upcoming feature film based on A Chjàna.
Well, what are you waiting for? SUBMIT YOUR FILM NOW!
Have a question about the contest? Email us!
PREVIOUS CONTESTS
May ’12 — Judges: Alex Ross Perry, Chris Horton, Christina Choe
April ’12 — Winner: A Chjàna (Jonas Carpignano); Runners-up: Brute Force (Ben Steinbauer), Terrebonne (Jeremy Craig). Judges: Lena Dunham, Jeff Deutchman, Kelly Sears
March ’12 — Winner: I Am John Wayne (Christina Choe); Runner-up: Figure Father (Andrew Ellis). Judges: Craig Zobel, Alison Willmore, Mike S. Ryan
February ’12 — Winner: Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise (Kelly Sears); Runner-up: Cork’s Cattlebaron (Eric Steele). Judges: David Gordon Green, Aaron Hillis, Michael Tully
