Lights! Canberra! Action! Filmmaking Festival

RULES

Films must be shot within the 10 days (archival footage excepted). Preparation for shooting may be done outside of the ten days.

Films must include at least 3 items

A character MUST interact with at least ONE ITEM in the film

A maximum of five items can be included via still-image/photographs. The rest must be actual items/props in the scene or locations for scenes. The only exclusion is animation - if a film is entirely animated, they can include all items as visual representation

Films must be a maximum of 7 minutes long, including credits

Unless an item is specifically noted as being an audio item, the item must be seen or visually represented. Drawings, photos and other visual representations are acceptable (up to the maximum of five representations)

To be eligible for the student entry price and prize ALL Producers AND Directors must be full time students - either primary, secondary or tertiary and currently undertaking a full time study load. Photocopies/sighting of students cards will be required

To be eligable for the Under 18s Prize, ALL Producers AND Directors must be under 18. ID will need to be sighted by the LCA -team

You must have copyright clearance for the music, script and any other element in your film. We cannot accept a film that does not have these clearances

In regard to animation - you may prepare before the ten days ie. do prepatory drawings, write scripts, draw/paint/prepare backgrounds etc before the ten days - but all 'animation' (the actual putting together of the movement in flash or any shooting of stop-motion) must be done in the ten days

Please keep in mind the open nature of the award screening when making your films and keep violence, language and drug use etc to below an (M) level. See www.classification.gov.au for details on the (M) classification.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

You need to submit:

A playable DVD AND A high quality screening copy of the film on HDD/Disc OR
A HD version uploaded to YouTube/Vimeo which will be your judging and screening copy.

The screening copy should be high quality, full resolution data file, H.264 or ProRes .mov files are preferred.

ONLINE JUDGING AND SCREENING SUBMISSION

Submission can be made via YouTube/vimeo link. You will include the link in your submission form, to be filled out online. The link MUST be available for viewing from 6pm on the submission Monday - so you will have to allow enough time to upload your video. Technical difficulties will not be taken into account, the deadline MUST be adhered to. Please don't distribute your link until after our Gala Screening - we want everyone to come to the festival and see the film on the big screen.

RETURNING YOUR DISCS/HDDs

If you would like your tapes returned to you after the festival, please provide us with a self-addressed envelope and enough stamps to ensure your tape’s return. Otherwise, tapes and HDDs will be available for pickup on the night of the screening.

SCORING

Points will be awarded for including the specified items in the films, and you will have to seek them out – Scavenger Hunt style. You can include the items anyway you like, your character can walk past one, or you can set a scene at a location, whatever fits your story best.

Be playful and creative! We want to see Canberra in new and interesting ways.

You receive 10 points for each item visible in your film.

You also receive the following points for the technical elements of your film. These are awarded by a Judging Panel:

Filmmaking Elements		Points
Screenplay/Writing	Original and creative story and plot, good dialogue and believable characters.	Up to 20
Acting/Performance	Believable and memorable acting/interviewees in documentaries	Up to 20
Directing	How the whole piece fits together - all the elements working cohesively to realise the script to its full potential visually, aurally & emotionally.	Up to 20
Editing	Editing that supports the style of the film and enhances the story and emotion.	Up to 20
Cinematography	The quality of the camera work, lighting and shot design.	Up to 20
Sound Design	The recording and mixing of location recordings, music and sound effects and creative use of sound.	Up to 20
Music	How well the music is used to fit the tone & emotion of the film. If there is no music, points will be given if that choice works in favour of the film.	Up to 20
Art Direction	Creative use of props, locations, set dressing and costuming.	Up to 20
Enjoyment	How enjoyable the film is, regardless of genre. Enjoyable means good to watch, not boring, the right length for the story - the x-factor. Do they like it.	Up to 20
Use of Theme	How the film relates to and creatively utilises the theme of 'Chance'	Up to 20

The Top Twelve films by the points are then screened to an audience and prizes in each of the technical categories are awarded as well as Best Film, Best Student Film and Best Use of an Item.

The People's Favourite Film is voted via the LCA Facebook Page the week after the festival and announced at the encore screening.

JUDGES

We select a diverse panel of filmmakers, critics and people who have general film interests. The panel changes each year. The 2016 Judging panel were:

Hew Sandison : Filmmaker and Three Time LCA Winner
Alexandra Mirabito : ScreenACT Coordinator
Jimmy Ennett : Filmmaker and Multiple LCA Award Winner
Chris Holly: Musician & Photographer
Dianne Ireland: LCA Event Co-Creator
Luke McWilliams: The Movie Club Film Reviewer