The film industry was hit hard by the pandemic with theatres, cinemas and sets having to redefine the film landscape to cater whilst catering to eager audiences.
During this time smaller production companies and filmmakers were able to gather online audiences by moving film festivals online and removing the mystery surrounding getting your film debut.
At Bluebird Pictures we have created a platform for filmmakers, whether you’re just starting out or looking to reach a new audience, to submit their work to our annual World Cinema Film Festival.
- Not only do you get the satisfaction of seeing your film on the big screen but you also receive ongoing feedback and guidance for your film at a more personal level.
For example, we were able to connect our 2018 winners Tom and Varun to Meg Davis at Ki Agency for a meeting which encouraged them to write their first feature film. They have since gone on to place highly in several critically acclaimed screenwriting competitions.
- You leave with more than just an accolade.
Film Festivals offer a wide range of film categories to win from that traditional award shows often miss out on. With this variety comes the opportunity for more niche genres that are not always recognised in short films, e.g, for the World Cinema Film Festival we encourage Virtual Reality and 360.
We have also introduced ‘Women’s Voices’ and ‘Audience Favourite’ to our award categories to encourage more submissions from female filmmakers in a male dominated industry. We go beyond acknowledging the talent that we encounter during our submission stages by also including mentorship from industry professionals and cash rewards of up to £250 towards your next film.
- Networking opportunities by joining a wider pool of filmmakers who can support your work.
We really believe in supporting our filmmakers throughout each phase of the festival because we understand how important it is to approach filmmaking from a collaborative point of view. The type of support that does not take away your autonomy or creativity but instead nurtures your ideas to help them flourish. The feedback and support that comes from collaborating with other filmmakers unfortunately isn’t always readily available when pitching short films to a larger organisation.
Previous winners of the WCFF have benefitted from our ongoing support and the channel of communication is always open for them to get in touch.
Our 2019 short film winner Candice Onyeama had the opportunity to meet with director of photography Fabien Wagner, whose credits include ‘Justice League’, The Crown, and many more, courtesy of the WCFF and has now been signed to an agency and is directing her first TV show.
There are many more reasons why you should take part in small film festivals, the most important one being their celebration of diversity. With the World Cinema Film Festival, we encourage filmmakers to be creative in their approach. We love to see films that are rich in culture and storytelling, from an international perspective.
As the festival circuit continues to evolve post-pandemic it’s clear that submitting your work to small film festivals is the best way to get your foot in the door.
We are accepting submissions for this year’s World Cinema Film Festival and encourage you to submit, whether it is VR, 360, short film, or documentary. We are now in our late deadline until August 1st, 2021, submit now for a chance at winning a best of category award which includes mentoring, pitching sessions with a producer, screening in London and LA and so much more.
