The Australian-born, hugely successful, international film fest for movies entirely filmed on a smart phone or tablet – and open to filmmakers of all ages! – goes on screen and online in November.
More than $50,000 worth of prizes are on offer including mentorships, new phones and iPads, apps, microphones, stabilisers, professional memberships and more. Categories include Kids and Adults short films, feature films, 360 degree/AR/VR films and more. With prizes for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actor as well as First Nations, Best Female Creative and Community awards.
SF3 has an all-star industry judging panel and, as always, boasts a star-studded line-up of Festival Ambassadors and 2022 is no exception. Already confirmed are Phillip Noyce, Nicole da Silva, Kriv Stenders, Kerry Armstrong, Jon Bell, Pieter de Vries, Anthony Kierann and Christopher Stollery. SF3 Kids Ambassadors are actor, filmmaker and disability advocate Emily Prior and the inaugural SF3 First Nations Award Winner and Kamilaroi filmmaker, Kara Rose. Dolby sponsors the First Nations award to the tune of $7000.
SF3 has a brand new award too: the SF3 and Chicken & Chips Casting Award. Filmmakers pitched their film and the team at Chicken & Chips chose one to Executive Producer and cast. It’s set for shooting through August around Sydney’s Bondi Junction.
Entries so far are mind-boggling and very, very exciting according to festival co-director Angela Blake. “We have an amazing story about the gay dating scene that was just filmed by Sydney actor, Danny Barton. Danny was inspired to make his very first film for SF3 after acting in an award-winning movie by SF3 alumna Narelle Nash.” Danny lives in Potts Point and shot this very Sydney film in Darlinghurst. Great behind the scenes photos of the shoot are available.
SF3 Kids includes a record number of Australian schools taking part this year. Cabramatta Public School and Newtown School of the Performing Arts are just two from Sydney to enter a slew of films. Many more are expected before entries close early next month.
Among the judging panel are: Louis Nowra, Serhat Caradee, Megan Riakos, Thomas Duncan-Watt, Stephanie Pringle, Alison Fowler, Yolandi Franken, Sue Smithers, Paul Tassone, Pieter de Vries, Corinne Podger, Alan Nurthen, Anthony Kierann, Ros Gentle, Anthony Montes, Joe Ochman, Roxanne Prophet, Wayne Tunks, Talin Agon, plus SF3 Kids alumni Emily Prior, Kara Rose and Callum Pritchard. An amazing new addition is the festival’s very first judge from the African continent: Oladipo O’Fresh. This followed a couple of smartphone filmmaking workshops SF3 taught via Zoom across Africa, leading to a flood of entries from that continent – where there is a burgeoning smartphone filmmaking scene.
Confirmed sponsors include: Major Sponsor Luma Touch, Silver Sponsors Filmic Pro and Accounting Heart, Bronze Sponsors NIDA, Old Kempton Distillery and Chicken & Chips Casting; SF3 First Nations supporter Dolby, venue partner Actors Centre Australia, and prize sponsors Rode, the Australian Cinematographers Society, the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, Screen Producers Australia, Ink Tip, iPitch.tv, Backstage, Shotlister, FilmLocal, WIFT NSW, AFI/AACTA, DreamGrip, the Screen Actors Workshop, Story Board Quick, Ribbet, Film Ink, Final Draft, Song Saga and The Hub Studio.
Festival artistic co-director Ali Crew reminded would-be filmmakers that it’s not too late to start work on an entry for the 1 Sept deadline. In 2018 Ren Thackham heard about SF3 only 48 hours before deadline. She wrote, filmed, edited and submitted her horror film, Rearview, in that time… and it went on to win nearly all every major award!
To enter, visit www.sf3.com.au
