*** Call for Entries ***
Arrow Video, in partnership with Celluloid Screams, are launching a Horror Lockdown Short Film Competition with a £3,500 Prize to finance your next short film!
The idea is to make the most out of this unprecedented situation and tap into your creativity with what the current restrictions have fed into your inspirations.
Lockdown has given us all the time to think about our wildest horrific ideas so why not bring them in to life?
History has shown us that restrictions and constraints are actually the roots of creativity and can be an amazing boost to spark your originality.
With new normality comes new rules and new adjustments, so just grab what’s available to you and let’s redefine the scope of what Horror films stand for.
We understand that you won’t be able to shoot the way you would normally and that your means are restricted to their minimal. Hence why we won’t impose you a set of rules to abide by.
*** How To Enter This Challenge ***
Main Requirements:
• Your short film cannot exceed 5min.
• It has to be an original work realised and completed under lockdown.
• All entries must be in English language or include English subtitles.
• You must make sure to adhere to any current local restrictions and regulations established by the government regarding safety measures due to COVID-19.
• You must comply with the Terms & Conditions as laid out below.
Entry Guideline:
• There is no entry fee to participate!
• Only one entry per filmmaker will be accepted.
• The deadline for all entries is 11:59 GMT on July 19th, 2020.
• You will need to submit your entry via the FilmFreeway platform. Please note that entry via other means will be invalid and won’t be judged.
*** Selection Process & Timeline ***
Once the competition has closed, the Celluloid Screams and Arrow Video teams will review all submissions and shortlist the best 10 best entries.
The best 10 entries will then be in competition to win one of two Awards: the Best Short Film Award and the Audience Award.
The Best Short Film Award Winner will be selected by our guests industry professional filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead – directors of The Endless, while The Audience Award Winner will be based on a public online vote.
The Endless was the third micro-budget horror film collaboration – after Spring and Resolution – for the indie filmmaking duo Moorhead & Benson, who both appeared as lead cast in the film. Following the impressive festival run of The Endless (AFI Fest, BFI London, Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Fest, Tribeca Film Fest, Sitges – Catalonian International Film Fest and more), the pair collaborated on their fourth project together last year with the film Synchronic starring Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie, due to be released in 2020.
Sharing their excitement about being involved in this competition, Moorhead & Benson mention: "Arrow put out the most beautiful and thorough release of The Endless possible, and Celluloid Screams has been kind enough to play all of our weird films. Now, they’re letting us judge movies made by intrepid short filmmakers who are somehow still making it happen during these challenging times. The fact that these films will even exist makes them all wonderful and miraculous. We have absolutely no idea what we’re going to see, but we know we’ll never have seen anything like them. We measure every film we see by their ingenuity, including our own, and so it’s going to be especially exciting for us to find out what hatches from the minds of these filmmakers during this unique moment in history."
Competition dates: June 19th – July 19th
Selection Process: July 20th – August 17th
Short List Announcement: August 18th
Public Vote Window: August 18th – August 25th
Winner Announcement: August 28th
🧟Enter the Game Now! 🧟
Best Short Film Award Winner – Prize:
• £3,500 towards the winner’s next short film project.
• The winning entry will be screened at Celluloid Screams: Sheffield Horror Festival (October 2020) and also hosted on their social channels/website.
• The winning entry will be hosted on the Arrow Video social channels/website.
Audience Award Winner – Prize:
• The winning entry will be hosted on the Celluloid Screams social channels/website.
• The winning entry will be hosted on the Arrow Video social channels/website.
The 10 shortlisted filmmakers (including both winners!) will receive an Arrow Video Bundle.