New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Top shorts will be judged by executives from Amazon Studios, A Better Tomorrow Films (John Woo's production company), Atomic Cartoons (Hilda, The Last Kids on Earth), and industry professionals like talent scouts and producers with hiring power.
Project Twenty1, a Philadelphia, PA-based 501(3) media arts non-profit, is relaunching its international competition from October 20-November 10, 2019. Project Twenty1 challenges media artists to create an original short in 21 Days. Project Twenty1 provides the motivation, deadline, and access to working entertainment industry judges, as well as unconventional screening opportunities. "I'm always happy to sign up for Project Twenty1," says Chris Pierdomenico of Brookhaven Team Philagape Productions. "It has certainly made me a better filmmaker."
Since 2006, the organization has accepted videos, animations, and mixed-media projects, but for the first time this year, they are adding a virtual reality component. "Platforms like Facebook Live and YouTube now allow platforms like Project Twenty1 to exhibit virtual reality projects - 360-degree video," says screenwriter, producer, and Project Twenty1 co-founder Matt Conant. "We're thrilled that we can finally reach audiences at home and even engage audiences in more transmedia projects"
All completed projects must contain a secret element, chosen by this year's host, Felicia Day (The Guild, MST3K). Past secret elements have been "21," "
Light", "Cell," "Start with a Crash," "Key," "Jump," and "Disconnect." "I think having a secret element is so helpful with giving writers a directive," said Wedge Wegman, Philadelphia filmmaker at Sickening Thud Productions and past employee of The Daily Show and The Philadelphia Post. "It really helps you focus your attention so you are inspired by a few specific ideas rather than pulled in a million random directions."
Top shorts will be judged by executives from Amazon Studios, A Better Tomorrow Films (John Woo's production company), Atomic Cartoons (Hilda, The Last Kids on Earth), and industry professionals like talent scouts and producers with hiring power.
Official Selections will be streamed online via Project Twenty1's social channels. as well as move on to theatrical and broadcast exhibition consideration through exhibition partners like The Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival at the Wealthy Theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the broadcast program Optical Toys (PhillyCam).
In addition, top projects will receive awards, such as Best Short (Grand Prize), Best Live-Action, Best Animation, Best V/R, Best Director, Best Acting, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music, and Best Marketing. In addition, audience members can vote online for their favorite shorts for the Audience Award. One of the most coveted awards, the EPIC Award, is reserved for participants who exhibit exemplary participation within the Project Twenty1 community. "Project Twenty1's EPIC award is like the 'Miss Congeniality' of content creation," says screenwriter, producer, and Project Twenty1 co-founder,
Stephanie Yuhas. "Although it's billed as a 21-Day Competition, it's always felt like more of a family. We created EPIC to honor those who embody the collaborative spirit."
As of this writing, over a dozen creative teams from the USA (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Michigan) and Canada (Toronto and Alberta) have signed up to create a short.
Project Twenty1 is a Pennsylvania 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the EPIC mission of Educating, Promoting, Inspiring, and Connecting creatives through film and animation. Project Twenty1 is currently seeking additional screening partners and official sponsors to help their content creators reach a wider audience. Contact
[email protected] for more information or to make a tax-deductible donation.
