It should be no surprise that the high-quality 720p HD video recording capabilities of the iPhone 4 are being used to create slick, original short films by a new generation of independent filmmakers with more ingenuity than cash -- and now, they can even have their efforts rewarded thanks to a new film festival dedicated to Apple’s device.
The Original iPhone Film Fest (OIFF) announced on Tuesday that they’ve started accepting submission for their first ever online contest showcasing the work of filmmakers who dabble with the iPhone to create original short films. Entries for the event will be accepted through September 30, 2011 and the winners will be announced in October.
“The Original iPhone Film Festival seeks original short films shot on any Apple iOS device (iPhone™, iPodTouch™ or iPad2™) for consideration in Fiction, Non-Fiction, Music Video and Brand Film categories,” the press release explains. “Films can run up to three minutes -- four and a half minutes for music videos -- and submissions are free.”
OIFF has lined up an impressive panel of industry experts to judge the flagship event, including members of the rock band Maroon 5, author and legendary “Madman” Jimmy Siegel, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom, New York Times technology scribe David Pogue and Oscar-winning documentarian Cynthia Wade.
“The Original iPhone Film Festival was developed to bring together and showcase the films of the iPhone filmmaker community and encourage aspiring filmmakers to tell their stories by utilizing the ‘film studio in their pocket’ -- the cutting-edge Apple IOS devices that break down the barriers to personal filmmaking,” the press release concludes.
Prizes for the winning entries will be provided by Zacuto USA, ALM Live, iStabilizer and Geneva Lab, with the grand prize winner receiving their very own iPad 2 -- presumably to work as a second camera for their next effort, of course.
For more information, head to The Original iPhone Film Festival website, where you can upload entries through the end of September.
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