Stella Adler Academy Hollywood Short + Sweet Film Festival

Enquiries regarding the festival can be sent to either johnjack@stellaadler-la.com or kinjal.dave@shortandsweet.org.

Festival Director - John Jack Rogers

Festival Coordinator - Kinjal Dave

S+S Artistic Director - Mark Cleary

The Stella Adler Academy Hollywood Short+Sweet Film Festival is unique in that by entering your film, you are actually entering all our Short+Sweet Film Festivals currently open for submissions both online and world-wide, all for the one entry fee. In 2016/17 films will be considered for our online festival, Sydney, Brisbane and Hollywood Festivals, with our Grand Finals being held in Hollywood on 24 August 2017. With more cities being announced over the next few months.

Following on from the legacy and tradition of its parent theatre festival, the Short+Sweet Film Festival is dedicated to promoting local talent and showcasing it to the world. As well as encouraging filmmakers to enter, we want theatremakers and playwrights who have previously entered Short+Sweet plays to adapt them into screenplays and enter for a chance to win our Best Adaptation Prize. We see no reason why the theatre and film worlds should be so separated, and we aim to bridge that divide. 

In keeping with the Short+Sweet tradition, all films must be 10 minutes or less (not including title) and can be shot and edited on any device.

You must have the permission to use any images, storylines, music etc. in your film.

No restrictions on the Device(s) used to record or create video and audio.

No restrictions on Software used to create, edit or enhance video and audio.

Films in any language are welcome, but must be subtitled in English.

The festival is open to filmmakers of ALL ages and levels of experience. 

No limits, other than your imagination.

By entering your film to S+S Film Festival you are agreeing to the following:

1.The running time of my Film is 10 minutes or less. Films longer than 10 minutes will not be considered and and the entry fee forfeited.

2. I am the creator of the Film and I give permission for the Film to be presented at any Short+Sweet (S+S) festival or event for which it is eligible. If I am not the (sole) creator of the film I warrant that I have obtained all necessary permissions of writers, originators or contributors.

3. Should my film be selected for a S+S Festival or event I understand I will receive no royalties or other payment for any screenings, live or virtual, but will be eligible for prizes and professional development opportunities.

4. I understand that my Film will be assessed by a selection committee and that no communication will be entered into by S+S regarding this process. The selection decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

5. I give S+S the right to screen/record/photograph my Film for archival, marketing and publicity purposes (including in unpaid public forums such as YouTube, Vimeo or similar).

6. A Film which has been publicly screened in the host city of any of S+S festival is still eligible for entry and consideration in any of our S+S festivals and cities.

7. All plays which have been adapted into films must have the permission of the playwright.

8. I understand copyright material cannot be used unless I have documentation to prove legal authorisation from the musician, artist, writer or record label.

9. I may also be required to provide Actor Release Forms to be signed by the people appearing in your film.

10. I understand that Films in any language are eligible, but must be subtitled in English.

11. The festival is open to filmmakers of all ages and levels of experience.

12. Submission deadline for The Stella Adler Academy Hollywood S+S Film Festival is 11:59pm (PT), July 21, 2017.

13. All content submitted must be in accordance with the law and any perceived illegal activity will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

14. I understand that if my Film is selected as a finalist I will be required to provide S+S with the highest quality recording of the Film so that it can be screened.

15. No restrictions on the Device(s) used to record or create video and audio.

16. No restrictions on Software used to create, edit or enhance video and audio.

17. The festival is open to filmmakers of ALL ages and levels of experience. 

18. The cost of entry to S+S Film is $20. If you need another payment method or are having trouble with payment please contact us at kinjal.dave@shortandsweet.org.

Privacy Statement

The personal information provided by you will only be used by us for The Stella Adler Academy Hollywood Short + Sweet Festival, other Short +Sweet Festivals, competitions and related activities, and to communicate with you about those activities. You can opt out of these at any time by responding to any emails received with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or the body of an email.

Submissions to be made here:

https://filmfreeway.com/festival/ShortSweetFilmFestivalLosAngeles

PRIZES

Best Film & People's Choice

* Winners will receive Skype meetings with Mark Ruffalo and Brad Fischer to discuss your winning film, and receive feedback and career advice.

* Winning films will be screened in Los Angeles at the Short+Sweet International Film Festival Gala Final on August 24 at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Blvd where they will compete to win the International award.

* Winners will receive a complimentary 1 year subscription to iPitch.tv

Best Screenplay

* One-on-one personal consultation meeting with Ken Rotcop of PitchMart to discuss your screenplay

* A 1 year complimentary subscription to iPitch.tv

Best Cinematography

* Career mentorship with cinematographer Bill Bennett

* A 1 year complimentary subscription to iPitch.tv

Best Actor (Male + Female)

* $1,000 towards a class at Stella Adler Academy of Acting & Theatre - Los Angeles (enrollment restrictions and pre-requisites apply)

* Headshots by Michael Helms Headshot Photography

* A 1 year complimentary subscription to iPitch.tv

JUDGES

John Jack Rogers (John Jack Rodgers is as Executive Director and serves on the Board of Directors of Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre - Los Angeles. He studied with Stella Adler and at her school for three years. John Jack has acted in, written, directed and produced numerous productions through the years. He is honored to be so involved in the first annual Stella Adler Academy Hollywood Short and Sweet Film Festival.)

Christopher Thornton (Christopher Thornton is an actor, writer, teacher, and Alumnus of Stella Adler Academy & Theatre – Los Angeles. Theatre performances include: Pyretown by John Belluso; The Body of Bourne at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles; Lion or This Corpse Will Not Stop Burning at the Taper Too in LA; Small Days by Timothy McNeil; Vaclav Havel’s Private View; London Calling; Misalliance; Waiting for Godot (Drama Logue Award); and The Poor Itch at The Public Theatre in New York. Television credits include NBC’s My Name is Earl, Fox’sUnhitched, Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Homefront, Players, Rules of Engagement, Grey's Anatomy, and HBO's Vice Principals. He has had recurring roles on Family Law, Lifetime’s Any Day Now, and ABC’s Alias. He filmed pilots for ABC, FOX, and Comedy Central. Films include Universal Pictures’State of Play, Pretty Persuasion, Bug, Tim McNeil's Anything, and Gus Van Sant's Don't Worry He Won't Get Far on Foot. Christopher wrote, produced, and starred in Sympathy for Delicious, (directed by Mark Ruffalo, starring Orlando Bloom, Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney, and Mark Ruffalo), which was an official selection in the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.)

Timothy McNeil (Timothy McNeil is a writer, director and actor. Tim just finished directing his first feature film Anything, starring John Carroll Lynch, Matt Bomer, and Maura Tierney, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival. He has had over 30 of his plays produced , including the play version of Anything (Best Production of 2008 by LADCC), among others. Tim is also an actor and has done over 50 film and television shows including Forrest Gump, Contact, Starship Troopers, Seinfeld, and others. He has been on the faculty of the Stella Adler Academy of Acting Los Angeles since 1999.)

Charlotte Larson (Charlotte Larsen is an actress, producer and company director. New Zealand born and UK raised, she returned to NZ for university where she gained a BA in Film and Theatre from Victoria University of Wellington. After graduating she started Random Films in 2005, The Emerging Artists Trust in 2007 and Propellor Studios in 2014 in New Zealand. Random Films expanded into the USA with Charlotte opening the LA office in 2012. In 2014 these companies merged to become The Random Group of companies including partnership with performing arts management company Cuba Creative. She is an alum of Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre and is also an advisory board member. She has produced feature films internationally, including then NZ’s most successful NZ made movie, Boy, directed by Taika Waititi, Great Expectations (UK), Gloria (Mexico) and Bella (USA). She has acted in many theatre and film projects including her latest series, Square Brains, where she plays a human/mouse DNA spliced detective. In 2015 she was one of the National Association of Professional Women’s VIP Inner Circle Women of the Year.)

Vera Mijojlic (Vera Mijojlic is the Founder and Festival Director of the South East European Film Festival - Los Angeles)

Stan Harrington (Stan Harrington is a multi award winning actor, writer and director who has worked out of The Stella Adler Theatre in Los Angeles for the last 20 years. He has given seminars on acting and filmmaking in the US and abroad including at the Sony/VASST conferences at NAB in Las Vegas, Women In Film in Los Angeles and The Self Employment in the Arts Conferences, Chicago. His book on guerrilla filmmaking was published and released by the Sundance Media Group in 2007,  and in 2014 he was included and recognized in the publication "The Top 100 Indie Filmmakers in the World, Part 1" , a book available on iTunes. For more information on Stan, go to  www.xristosproductions.com)