Ipswich Film Festival For Youth

• Competition submissions open – Monday 13 July 2020 (start of Qld term 3)
• Competition submissions close – Friday 19 September 2020 (last day of Qld term 3)

The Ipswich Film Festival for Youth short film screening and award ceremony will be held on Saturday 17 October 2020.  Due to current restrictions details of the event will be confirmed closer to the date.  Prizes will be awarded for each age group category and include a major prize of a GoPro and minor prizes of gift cards, with a total prize value of $3,390.00.

Judging Criteria for all categories:

• Story line
• Editing techniques
• Use of effects
• Use of the theme

7 to 11 Years

Best overall picture 7 to 11 years

Sub-categories

• Share it (Social media format)
• Single Shot (60 seconds none stop)
• Comedy

Judging categories for the 7 to 11 years Ipswich Film Festival for Youth short film competition, have been designed to encourage kids creativity while keeping the criteria simple. Entries for ‘Share It’ can be simply filmed on a mobile phone, with multiple short clips making up a story. ‘Single Shot’ encourages kids to think about what story they wish to tell & if they can combine the action into one consecutive take. ‘Comedy’ allows kids to be whimsical & silly while having a ball of fun filming a gag or two.

*Films can be submitted into more than one category.

12 to 17 Years

Best overall picture 12 to 17 years

Sub-categories

• Documentary (story telling)
• Animation / Stop Motion (comic or computer animation)
• Music Video (music rights must be sourced & included in the application to be eligible)

Judging categories for the 12 to 17 years Ipswich Film Festival for Youth short film competition, have been designed to expand on the interests of middle & high school ages youth. From a General Admission entry, additional entry opportunities include telling a story through a Documentary, letting their creativity flourish with Computer Animation or working with an artist to make a one of a kind Music Video.

*Films can be submitted into more than one category.

18 to 25 Years

Best overall picture 18 to 25 years

Sub-categories

• Documentary (story telling)
• Music Video (music rights must be sourced & included in the application to be eligible)
• Animation / Stop Motion (comic or computer animated)

Judging categories for the 18 to 25 years Ipswich Film Festival for Youth short film competition have been designed to create an opportunity for tertiary ages youth to present their film making works. From a General Entry, to a Documentary, Music Video or working with Animation / Stop Motion, these film makers can dive deeply into the theme & allow the creative juices flow into their work.

*Films can be submitted into more than one category.

The talented members of the 2020 IFFY judging panel:

Andre Borell

Andre Borell is co-founder of The Hype Project and Producer and Director of Envoy: Cull. Andre has had a passion for photography and videography from a young age, from jerry-rigging handycams to mountain bike helmets and go-karts, to building underwater camera housings as a teenager.

He is a successful entrepreneur who has grown multiple businesses in various industries. Andre co-founded The Hype Project in 2018 with a single goal in mind - to make films that matter.

Andre’s inspiration for Envoy: Cull started in 2014 during the WA shark cull. This inspiration continued to grow as the QLD and NSW culls continued, even after the WA cull was abandoned, with little to no public scrutiny. Andre fulfilled various roles and worked endless hours on the production of Envoy: Cull, driven by an unwavering creative vision and burning desire to facilitate change.

Greg Huglin

Greg Huglin received an Oscar® as one of the Cinematographers of the 2010 Academy Award® winning Best Documentary, "The Cove". Greg has also produced and filmed many ocean-themed documentaries and his footage has been used in over 200 international TV commercials, documentaries and feature films.

He has spent several thousand days on location as a 'Natural Light' still photographer and has shot hundreds of magazine covers and advertisements.

Greg graduated with a Filmmaking Degree (BFA) from the San Francisco Art Institute and holds a University level teaching credential from the California Community Colleges.

EJ Garrett

EJ Garrett is a producer, director, videographer and writer of indigenous content for mainstream audiences, specialising in short form content and factual storytelling.

EJ started his career in media as producer/presenter of Murri Minute, a series of vignettes screened on commercial television that portrayed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in a positive way. He also produced TV commercials covering topics including health, child protection and homelessness, as well as content for corporate audiences.

EJ currently owns and operates JETZAK , a socially conscious media production company specialising in media content campaigns for community based organisations and services. A Darumbal man from the coastal lands of Central Queensland. EJ and his mother are from the Wulli Wulli people of the Burnett region and the content that he produces about his people is positive and contemporary. EJ has also served as an executive board member of the Ipswich Women’s Centre Against Domestic Violence, is a White Ribbon Ambassador and also an executive board member for the Kambu Progress Society, an organisation providing much-needed affordable housing solutions to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of Ipswich.

Mikaele Iese

Mikaele Iese turned his interest in television into a career, starting with a short course Certificate in Television Production at the Auckland University of Technology in 1995. Since then, Mikaele’s desire to develop his skills as a sound recordist enabled him to work on location for multiple film and television shoots, as well as working in the production studio.

He furthered his professional development by completing a Bachelor in Performing and Screen, majoring in Screen Arts, in 2011. Mikaele has worked on everything from infomercials, promotional video’s, short films and documentaries with some of the industry’s best production companies and producers, including working for Maori Television children’s show; Pukoro.

Reese Lowe

Reese Lowe is an Ipswich local; an Agency Director, Storyteller and Cinematographer. He has turned his love of storytelling into the thriving branding and digital marketing agency, The Hype Project.

He enjoys delving into the back story in order to bring things creatively to life. Reese is a disruptor at heart and loves to challenge the norm. The worst thing you can say to him is that ‘it’s always happened like this’ since he won’t quit until he’s found a new way to do it faster and better than everyone else.

Reese’s most recent project has been as Associate Producer for the feature film, Envoy: Cull.

Screen Queensland

Screen Queensland (SQ) is a government-owned company that invests in and supports the Queensland screen industry who strive to make Queensland a global leader for the screen industry-leading across all platforms and genres from film and TV to games and online as well as those platforms that are yet to be defined!  A special guest judge from Screen Queensland will be announced shortly.

See the below filmmaking tips and tricks to get you inspired and ensure your 2019 IFFY film entry is as polished as possible before submission.

Getting Started

• Establish a timeline: the length of time it will take to put together your film is determined by how much free time you have available to work on it. It could take anywhere from 1 day to 6 months to complete. So, if your days are already jam packed with activities, start your film project early or make the most of the holidays and your available time.
• Create your idea: the first step in the film making process is growing your story idea, whether it is based on personal experience or the result of an active imagination. Spend some time thinking about what the theme "Future – What is Possible..." means to you. Jot down some ideas and run them by family or friends to get their feedback.
• Script it: once you have settled on your idea, the next step is to create a script. For a 1-3 minute film, the maximum number of script pages should be three. This is based on a general rule of 1 page = 1 minute, but can differ depending on how much dialogue you plan to include in your film.
• Choose your equipment: if you don’t have access to a video camera to create your film, don’t be discouraged. Some great short films have been shot using a smart phone. You can shoot in either portrait or landscape orientation but make sure it’s consistent and keep the camera steady to avoid blurriness.

Storyboarding

• Creating a storyboard: you can download free templates online or start by drawing a series of boxes on a piece of paper. In each box sketch your scenes and give consideration to how close you’ll be to the subject, their position and the angel you’re shooting from.
• It’s all in the details: stick figures will work just fine if drawing isn’t your strong suit, but remember to draw in all of your props. You can then add notes under each scene about location, script, camera movements, etc. The storyboard can be as detailed as you like and will be a useful tool when you start filming.

Filming

• Top 5 tips for filming
  • To get the perfect shot or enhance the mood of a scene, experiment with your camera settings instead of relying on automatic settings.
  • When filming outdoors, shoot with the sunlight behind you.
  • To get creative with your scenes, mix up the angles and level that you film from.
  • Be wary of filming in noisy locations, such as near busy roads, as this can be recorded in your audio and make it hard to hear dialogue.
  • Keep your camera steady and if possible use a tripod to avoid shaky video.
• Filming on a smartphone: if you don’t have a camera to film on, don’t sweat it. You can put together a film on your smartphone. To maximise your phone's potential, check out some handy YouTube videos such as this video by Jason van Genderen, an award-winning smartphone film specialist and director.

Editing

• Paid and free editing programs: editing is an important part of the film making process. You can purchase editing programs such as AVS Video Editor or Adobe Premier Pro but there are also some equally great free programs you can download such as Windows Movie Maker, Lightworks or Wondershare Filmora.
• Editing on smartphones: if you’ve filmed your entry on a smartphone, you might want to try some free apps like iMovie, PowerDirector or Movie Edit Touch.
• Film format: don’t forget that your final submission for IFFY should be in either MPEG4, MP4, MOV, AVI or WMV format.

Music

• Free music: there are many different types of music that you can include in your film. You could try composing and recording your own music or sounds, or download copyright free music from websites. You’re also able to record your own version of a song that is no longer under copyright. If a composer passed away more than 70 years ago, their score is out of copyright and you’re able to reproduce it.
• Music that requires a licence: songs that you hear on the radio are considered ‘published music’ and to use them you’ll need to apply for a licence from APRA AMCOS. Make sure to send us a copy of the licence if you’ve included this music in your entry.

• View the IFFY Terms and Conditions (PDF, 78.7 KB)

Download IFFY 2020 collateral:

• IFFY 2020 A3 Poster (PDF, 212.4 KB)
• IFFY 2020 DL Flyer (PDF, 195.8 KB)
• IFFY 2020 Facebook Post (JPG, 290.0 KB)
• IFFY 2020 Instagram Post (JPG, 412.2 KB)

The Ipswich Film Festival for Youth (IFFY) 2019 took place from Monday 15 July to Friday 20 September 2019. Youth aged from 7 to 25 years were invited to make a short film with their friends and submit the film to be in the running for some great prizes.

Theme

The 2019 competition evolved to include three age group categories: 7-11 years, 12-17 years and 18-25 years, with prizes for each category. The theme for the competition was 'FUTURE – What is Possible...'.

IFFY Screening and Awards Ceremony

The Ipswich Film Festival for Youth short film screening and award ceremony was hosted at The Circle, Robelle Domain on Saturday 19 October. Prizes were awarded for each age group category and included a major prize of a GoPro and minor prizes of gift cards, with a total prize value of $3,600.00.

Winners IFFY 2019

Congratulations to all entrants on the quality of entries and to the winners selected in each category - click on the film names below to view the winning entries:

• Ipswich Film Festival for Youth: Share It (7-11 years) 
  A Possible Future (Just For Film Crew)
• Ipswich Film Festival for Youth: Best Picture (7-11 years) 
  A Possible Future (Just For Film Crew)
• Ipswich Film Festival for Youth: Documentary (11-17 years) 
  School (Block 13 Productions)
• Ipswich Film Festival for Youth: Sci-Fi (11-17 years) 
  Dead Silent (Olivia McClatchey)
• Ipswich Film Festival for Youth: School Entry (11-17 years) 
  Curiosity Met the Cat (Maksym Poplavskiy)
• Ipswich Film Festival for Youth: Best Picture (11-17 years) 
  718 Thousand Hours (Kate Snashall)
• Ipswich Film Festival for Youth: Documentary (18-25 years) 
  A World’s Tale (Long Story Short Productions)
• Ipswich Film Festival for Youth: Animation / Stop Motion (18-25 years) 
  Life is Not a Journey (Oliver Marsden)
• Ipswich Film Festival for Youth: Best Overall Picture (18-25 years) 
  ENOUEMENT (Isaac Thomson)

View all IFFY 2019 entries