Smartphone savvy? Make a film, win prizes

Dubai: Smartphone savvy youngsters can now make films on their devices and walk away with prizes if they are good enough, thanks to a short film competition launched by the British Council.

Part of a three-year culture and sports programme, the council’s Small Screen, Big Film festival is open to anyone with a smartphone. Contestants are required to create a three-minute film using their device and enter for a chance to have their work shown and promoted during the online festival in March 2018. Four winning entrants will be given a chance to receive expert tuition.

Deadline

GCC residents and Gulf nationals living in the UK can submit their work via www.britishcouncil.com.kw/en until January 31, 2018. Entrants must be age 25 or under, and can send enquiries to smallscreenbigfilm@britishcouncil.org. To help filmmakers develop their entry, the British Council has partnered with IntoFilm, a British film-based educational charity, to create a step-by-step smartphone film guide, available for download now from the festival website.

A jury of renowned GCC and UK filmmakers will shortlist 20 films to be screened to a global audience during the online festival from March 15-25, 2018. Jury members sharing their expertise include Emirati director Abdulla Al Kaabi. British filmmaker Asif Kapadia, and English actress and writer Alice Lowe.