Jury For SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival Announced

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) have announced the jurors for this year's SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival.

Scheduled for 26 October, the event will follow the Oktoberfest Reception at the SMPTE 2016 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SMPTE 2016) in Hollywood, California. The deadline for entries is 27 June.

Film festival jurors are accomplished motion-imaging professionals from around the world. They include:

• Elisa Bonora – an editor and producer originally from Milan, Italy
• David S. Cohen – senior features editor at Variety
• Ben Gervais – a productions systems supervisor
• Dorian Harris – a film and television editor since the 1980s
• Bryan Hillestad – a professional character animator and animation supervisor
• Katie Hinsen – senior finishing artist at Light Iron New York and founder of the Blue Collar Post Collective (BCPC)
• Niven Howie – editor for high-end commercials, pop videos, and feature films
• Nancy Jundi – a data scientist for the entertainment, technology, and SaaS industries
• Patricia Keighley, senior – vice president of IMAX Corporation and co-founder/managing director of IMAX POST/DKP Inc.
• Mark Kenna – CEO of Bad Blood Films and a film sound consultant
• Dean Lyon – producer, director, and visual effects (VFX) supervisor
• Stewart Schill – an ACE Award-nominated writer, director, and editor
• Ted Schilowitz, founding member, first employee, and product development team member at RED Digital Cinema and now "futurist" at 20th Century Fox and "cinemavangelist" at Barco
• Matisse Tolin – VR producer and screenwriter who founded Lithic VR
• Joachim Zell – vice president of imaging science and technical director at EFILM.

The complete list of jurors is available at www.smpte.org/jurors.

The SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival features the following award categories, with students selecting one category for each entry:

Best Creative Use of Technology to Engage the Audience in the Story — Narrative Format:
• Running time of up to five minutes
• Running time of 30 seconds or less

Best Portrayal of Entertainment Technology in the Film — Documentary Format:
• Running time of up to five minutes
• Running time of 30 seconds or less

Best Creative Use of Virtual Reality (VR) in Storytelling:
• Running time of up to three minutes

Best Use of Mobile Device or Tablet to Convey a Story — Narrative Format:
• Running time of up to five minutes

• An additional award for "Audience Choice" will be voted on by the festival attendees and awarded on the evening of the festival.

Barbara Lange, Executive Director of SMPTE and HPA, said: "The SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their technical creativity while gaining visibility among industry leaders. Highlighting the work of both SMPTE's and HPA's youngest members, this event offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of motion imaging."

"We honor the creativity and adept use of technology that these students are using to tell stories. Being a stakeholder in the Festival is reflective of our commitment to helping the next generation rise to careers in our industry. It's also inspiring," added Seth Hallen, president of the HPA. "As the industry moves toward increasingly sophisticated tools and processes, this interplay with storytelling is incredibly important. It is a great opportunity for the students to explore the process and have the opportunity to show their work to other young filmmakers, industry executives, and leading technologists. The HPA is pleased to participate in the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival and shine a spotlight on the creative leaders of tomorrow."

The SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival is open to full-time students currently enrolled in an accredited college, university, film school, or high school/secondary school. Entries from around the world are encouraged. There is no fee to enter, and SMPTE or HPA membership is not a prerequisite for submission of a film. However, students may join SMPTE as student members for just $10 or for free if this is their first year of membership when they apply via the Student Membership Challenge (SMC). Further information about the SMC is available at www.smpte.org/student-membership-challenge.

Tickets to attend the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival will be available later this month. Admission is free for students, and a $25 donation is suggested for others.

Further information is available at www.smpte.org/film-festival.

Image: SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival 2016 featured jurors.

www.smpte.org

www.hpaonline.com

(JP/LM)