Short Shorts For Sale Online — 2 bucks each

The online demand for short films has been growing and growing.

While indie features continue to struggle to find distribution, short film makers have a better chance of making some cash by putting their films on sale via iTunes, Xbox, and Netflix.

A recent entry at the Circuit Blog at Variety.com notes the irony of the situation — short filmmakers at Sundance 2008 may do better financially than their feature film counterparts.

The Circuit – Blog on Variety.com – 1390000339

The key reason for this: bandwidth. Greater bandwidth and faster internet access has turned the Web into a viable distribution system for short films.

Films in the “under 10 minute” category also play well to the internet audience, notorious for having the attention span of a flea.

In response, a slew of online film festivals have sprung up, trying to capitalize on the opportunity of Internet distribution:

• Babelgum Online Film Festival — This short film festival, championed by Spike Lee, has received considerable media attention.

Selected works will also be aired on a internet TV channel called the Babelgum Channel

• Pangea Day Festival

Do you have a short film that stands for social change? Pangea Day Festival is the place for you.
It is backed by Participant Productions, the same people behind the films, An Inconvenient Truth and
Syriana

Closer to home, specialized short film distributors such as, Objectifs Films, have carved a niche by bringing Asian short films to a global audience.

In the age of viral video and online short film festivals, film makers have to be ever more succinct.

If you have a film that will change the world, make sure it is under 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: movie marketing, online distribution, video distribution, Sundance Film Festival, online film festival, Babelgum Online Film Festival, Pangea day Festival, Participant Productions

Berlin Film Festival Adventures

I will be attending the Berlin Film Festival 2008 (7th — 17th February 2008) There are two big reasons why I am going.

Invisible City, a film I worked on, is screening in the Forum section of the Berlinale.

I will also take the opportunity to market and promote my own film about the Beijing Olympics, Boomtown Beijing at the Festival and the European Film Market.

With thousands of journalists and film makers attending, I am sure Berlin will be a zoo. But hopefully, it’d also be a lot of fun.

Wish me luck!

Second Skin: Documentary About Virtual World

I have never been on Second Life so I have no idea what it means to inhabit larger than life personae in the virtual world.

Nonetheless, I am fascinated by this space in which everyone gets to place at being a comic book superhero.
What a fascinating topic for a documentary film and I am so glad someone has just made one!

Trailer for documentary about virtual worlds – Boing Boing

Check out the trailer for “Second Skin” , a documentary about the virtual world and the gamers who ‘live’ in them. You can also go to the official film website here.

There are so many ways to look at the virtual lives that people have created for themselves online.

It is the stuff of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Technology and Literature.

Perhaps the virtual world is like a mirror that reflect and refract our true selves.

Invisible City at Berlin Film Festival

Today, I received an email request from my friend, Singaporean film maker Tan Pin Pin:

"Hi Siok, if its convenient, can you let Web 2.0 know  to watch or look out for Invisible City  in Berlin?"

Those were her exact words.:)

So hear ye, Web 2.0 folks out there, look out for this Singapore documentary film at   one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world

Invisible City is a documentary about documenteurs.  The film conveys  the fragility of histories  stitched together by  a patchwork of memories and artefacts.

 You can watch the trailer of the film here:



 The following are the dates and times for the screening of Invisible City at the Berlinale.

08.02.08 17:45  CinemaxX5 (press screening)

09.02.08 20:00  Arsenal

10.02.08 15:00  Cubix 7

11.02.08 15:00  CineStar 8

I will be traveling to the festival with director, Pin Pin,   as a member of the Invisible City production team.