Green Screen film deadline extended

Local filmmakers have until September 15 to submit their minute-long contributions to the 2021 edition of the Green Screen Environmental Film Festival’s Very Short Shorts Mobile Film competition.

The overall theme for this year’s festival and the Very Short Shorts competition is Heroes and will continue Green Screen’s focus on film-making as a tool for creating greater awareness on issues of climate change and sustainability in TT, a media release said.

Since 2011 Green Screen has screened hundreds of films in TT and Guyana. Green Screen has also contributed to the local film ecosystem through several production support programmes and the hugely successful Very Short Shorts Mobile Film competition.

Festival director Carver Bacchus is urging filmmakers to highlight stories of resilience and creativity, among other concerns.

“The theme Heroes is a call for us to focus on the many ordinary humans who are making an extraordinary impact all over the world. We encourage our local filmmakers to highlight stories of resilience, ingenuity, creativity, vision and care for our fellow citizens and our country. And this can be in the fields of social justice, food security, migration, health and wellness, the built environment, technology, climate change adaptation and energy security,” Bacchus said in the release.

Films for the Very Short Shorts competition must be shot entirely on a mobile device (smartphone, tablet, go-pro or any combination of these) in HD video. Submissions will be limited to a length of 60 seconds, not including credits. Participants are allowed any number of submissions.

Winning films will be selected by a Green Screen jury, with the exception of People’s Choice, which is determined by public voting.

Prizes for the Very Short Shorts competition are: Overall Jury Winner (all ages) $12,000 courtesy The National Gas Company (NGC); Youth Jury Winner (12-25 years) $5,000 and The People’s Choice Award (all ages) $3,000 courtesy the Solid Waste Management Company Ltd (SWMCOL)

The 2021 edition of the festival is possible with the support of lead sponsor the National Gas Company (NGC), Supporting Sponsor Solid Waste Management Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SWMCOL), FilmTT and Media Partner Loop.