EmailThe Lexus Short Film Competition is entering its fourth year and it is time for open submissions. The winners of this competition don't receive money or gift cards as with other competitions, but rather will receive opportunity. The four winners of this years competition will get to each write and direct a short film produced by The Weinstein Company.
The Weinstein Company is long known for its dedication to independent cinema with their work with the Cohen Bothers, and more recently on indie films like Lion and Fruitvale Station. The winners package will include promotional and theatrical screenings and global film festival campaigns.
Entry is free and you can submit any short you have completed in the past, but there is a catch. To be eligible to apply you must have written and directed at least one short film that has been accepted into a film festival, or be currently enrolled in film school. This is a great opportunity for established up-and-comers to break into the mainstream industry.
You can read the full rules and apply here, and you can see examples of previous winners here.
What if you don't have a short film under your belt and haven't been to any festivals -- like most of us?
Don't worry, there are plenty of ways to get started or find your own audience for short films (or any kind of films and videos). The first step is to just make something. Most people talk about making a short or video project and most people don't do anything further. Nowadays it is relatively cheap and easy to produce a professional quality product and distribute it to millions of people without the help of a major Hollywood Studio. You can even produce your work on a smartphone, something that Hollywood directors like Steven Soderbergh have started to do themselves. Then you can distribute your work on the Internet using platforms like Facebook and YouTube to reach millions of people world wide.
Ultimately it doesn't matter that much how much money you spent on the movie, or who produced it but rather if it is compelling and tells a good story.
Here's an example of a previous winner:
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