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straight 8 returns for 20th year - a few places remain for this year's competition

straight 8 returns for 20th year - a few places remain for this year's competition

Promonews - 24th Jan 2019

straight 8 is back for its 20th anniversary year, with a few remaining places to go to fill the full compliment of entries to the 2019 competition.

straight 8 is a global film competition that invites anyone anywhere to make a short film on one cartridge of Super 8mm film, editing only with each pull of their camera’s trigger. No post-production, no grading, no fiddling or fixing is permitted. The soundtrack is created without having seen the film and must be original. Each film’s maximum length is 3 minute 20 seconds - dictated by the 50 feet / 15 metres of celluloid film in that one Super 8mm cartridge.

The first time successful entrants see even their own work is at one of straight 8’s packed and riotous premieres. Since 2003, the best entries are screened at straight 8 premieres at Cannes Film Festival, again without anyone seeing their work first. 2019 marks the 20th anniversary year of straight 8 and their 14th Cannes premiere.

The jury for straight 8 2019 includes, for their fourth and third year respectively; Academy and BAFTA-award winning director Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna, The Warrior), and editor Justine Wright (Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void, Locke, Yardie).

New to the jury this year are DoP Robbie Ryan (The Favourite, American Honey, I, Daniel Blake, Slow West, and numerous music videos) and actor/screenwriter Steve Oram (Sightseers, Sally4Ever, The End of the F***ing World) who has also been involved as a director/actor in numerous classic straight 8 films previously.

Since launching only to their current community, over 100 of 150 available places have already been taken, by filmmakers on 5 continents in 17 countries.

There is no theme set. Filmmakers from all backgrounds and levels of experience, including first-timers, are encouraged to embrace the level playing field that straight 8 represents. Newcomers are encouraged.

straight 8 2019 is open now until all the places are taken. Entry is only available on the straight 8 website.

Ed Sayers, straight 8 founder, comments: “It’s hard to believe that it’ll be 20 years this May since we screened the first 22 straight 8 films, in a packed West End cinema in London. The efforts people have gone to to make memorable cinema, with such ridiculous restriction, continues to be mind-boggling and the growing selection of films inspire ever more waves of filmmakers willing to give it a crack. The family grows, and the door is always open.”

Asif Kapadia comments: “I started shooting on super 8 and 16mm. What I love about straight 8 is it reminds you that film is precious; every frame, every second is valuable. Shooting without a screen, no sound, no playback, no way to delete mistakes, encourages you to think before you shoot and to trust your gut instincts. ​This is how the masters like Hitchcock and Scorsese started. That’s what I love about straight 8, it’s the magic of Cinema, in its purest form.”

Promonews - 24th Jan 2019

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