DSLR-Based Film Festivals Showcase Burgeoning New Creative Category



Nov 13, 2009
By Dan Havlik, PDN's Technology Specialist

FPS Fest

Just a year ago, if you were looking for a place to submit your high def video shot with a DSLR you pretty much had Vimeo and YouTube and that was about it. This past week though saw the announcement of two interesting new festivals devoted to this burgeoning creative category. (And it's easy to believe that more such festivals are on the way.)

For professionals, there's FPS (Film Photo Synthesis) Fest, which is "a film screening event" in Brooklyn, New York that, according to a press announcement, "explores the transition from still photography to motion."

That's more or less a fancy way to say they're going to screen movies from some of the leading DSLR filmmakers out there.

On tap for the event, which takes place on Tuesday, November, 17th, are short films by (among others):

• Vincent Laforet
• Phillip Bloom
• Alexx Henry
• Andrew Hetherington
• Alex Buono (D.P. of Saturday Night Live)
• Noah Web

FPS Fest will take place at ROOT Brooklyn in Williamburg, Brooklyn from 6-10pm. The cost is $5 at the door and "beer and popcorn" will be served. (Can't wait.)

More details on FPS Fest can be found here.

For consumer photographers, there's the Nikon Film Festival which is more of an online contest than an actual "festival." The grand prize is $100,000 and it will be judged by photographer and filmmaker Chase Jarvis, actor Rainn Wilson from NBC's The Office, and Internet "personality" iJustine Ezarik.

The theme of the films, which must be 140 seconds or less, is "A Day Through Your Lens" and we're told they don't necessarily need to be shot with a Nikon HD-DSLR to be submitted.

To enter the contest, visit www.NikonFestival.com. Submissions will be accepted until December 15th.

You can also view sample videos "created" by the judges. (Though we wonder whether Rainn Wilson actually filmed himself acting in his video or had some help.) Below is Chase Jarvis' video.







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