The thirty ninth
ALCINE is getting the ball running. The
Alcalá de Henares / Comunidad de Madrid Film Festival has just opened for entries to the
European Competition, to be held for the third time in 2009. The search is on for an heir to '
Rattlesnakes', Icelandic filmmaker
Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson's film, which won over the jury last year. In the meantime, one of the main novelties of this year's festival has seen the light of day, '
Shortlatino', a
pioneering initiative in this country aimed at fostering and promoting the
Latin American short film industry.
The European Competition is open for entries until the
30th of June. The selected films will compete for three
ALCINE awards in this section worth 6,000, 4,000 and 2,000 euros respectively. There is also a trophy awarded by the audience.
Anyone interested in participating should fill in a series of requirements and obligations to formalize the inscription process, details of which can be found at
www.alcine.org.
The
European Short Film Competition backed by two years of experience provides a showcase of short films with majority production in member countries of the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. The Competition accepts films with 16 and 35 millimetre and Betacam Digital PAL exhibition copies that are no more than half an hour long and have subtitles in English or Spanish if neither of these is the spoken language. A
selection committee chooses the films for participation in the European Competition from all those received.
In order to formalize your inscription the first step is to complete an
online form at
www.alcine.org. Those interested should print it and send it along with a video of the short film, the list of dialogues, three high resolution photos of the film and one of the director, informative material and a photocopy of the ID cards of the director and producer. To consult subsequent steps to be taken see
www.alcine.org.
The new short film market, 'ShortLatino'
The opening of the registration period for the European Competition is not the only novelty at ALCINE39. The organization is introducing a new section, '
ShortLatino'. A pioneering initiative in Spain, which will turn Alcalá de Henares into the
main showcase for Latin American short films. The Festival will facilitate processes for exchanges between the European market and
Spanish and Portuguese language short films.
'
ShortLatino' will enable the creation of a forum for debate on the state of short films in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. The 'ShortLatino' market will have specific viewing areas, screening cabins and a forum for meetings between purchasers and sellers, as well as spaces for debate and special screenings, all under one roof.
ALCINE39 is setting up around
twenty viewing posts in which access can be gained to recent Latin American work and there will be a forum organizing
informal meetings between purchasers and sellers. Traditional round tables will be replaced by
more lively debating spaces that foster participation.
'Shortlatino' will publish a
market catalogue containing all the projects included in the section.
Meeting points will be set up between those invited to the market in order to foment contacts. A system of
thematic screenings will be established grouping short films around genres or formats.
The Latin American film schools will also play an important role in 'Shortlatino', as invitees participating in this new initiative - proof that ALCINE's ongoing desire for constant renewal is as strong as ever.
