A Port Moody movie fest is calling on local aspiring directors and screenwriters to submit their productions for its upcoming event.
There's one week left for CloseUp International Film Festival applications as the deadline is next Wednesday (March 15).
Organizer and filmmaker Yuna Fahim tells the Tri-City News the festival aims to explore a range of talent, from students and Indigenous filmmakers, as well as genres like fiction, animation and documentary.
According to the Inlet Theatre event's website, the focus this year is looking to shed light on the concepts of family, human rights, and the women-life-freedom movement around the world.
Fahim, a Coquitlam resident originally from Iran, explained there are four categories for CloseUp and the winner of each competition is set to receive a $1,000 prize.
The films must have a run time of between two and 30 minutes, completed within three years of the festival and "must not have previously been shown publicly," online or otherwise.
A panel of judges from Canada, Finland and Italy are set to pick the winning pictures for 2023, Fahim added.
The CloseUp International Film Festival is set for April 28 and 29. You can visit the event's website for more information.
Like to make movies?
Fahim is also set to host a "filmmaking bootcamp" for teens this spring break looking to begin a career in the movie biz.
The intensive course is set to provide a week's worth of instruction by industry experts and film school graduates, followed by a week of applied skills and a final project submission by the end of the camp.
"The Instructors will monitor and mentor the young filmmakers throughout the training program, from script writing to finishing the film," said Fahim.
Interested students aged 13 to 18 can apply for Fahim's two-week session, scheduled for March 13 to 24.
The courses will take place nightly at Mirage Studio in Coquitlam (62 Fawcett Rd.) from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
The cost to join is priced at $399.
For more information, you can send an email to [email protected], call 604-404-7574 or also visit the CloseUp Film Festival's website.
