BRIEF ENCOUNTERS LAUNCH NEW AWARDS

BRIEF Encounters 2000 a short film festival held in Bristol last week showcased the best in international and national short filmmaking.
Three new prestigious awards were introduced at this year’s festival. These include ‘The Pathe 5 Minute Award’, for all new films up to five minutes long submitted to the festival. The winning film will receive national distribution in cinemas attached to a forthcoming release from leading independent UK producer and Distributor Pathe.
There is also ‘The International Jury Award, with a prize of £3000 for the best International short film selected by an international jury of film industry professionals.
‘The Short Circuit Award’ has also been introduced for the best British Film. The winning film will be accepted into the Short Circuit scheme, which seeks to exhibit short films in cinemas around the UK.
Simon Cooper, Chair of Brief Encounters, said: “We are delighted to introduce these three new awards which will take the Brief Encounters Short film Festival to a new level and reward film makers for their creativity. The winners will get cinema and internet distribution which fulfils the aim of the festival to get short films seen by wider audiences.”
This year over 500 films have been submitted from all over the world.
Brief Encounters featured five international programmes, three British programmes, two programmes from the South Wets plus a late night selection of the Art of the Pop Video, three profiles of British experimental film makers and the best of regional and student shorts.
Special events included The Script Factory Workshop, Short Film On-line, a European Round table discussion on Film Festivals and Sponsorship supported by the European Federation of Film Festivals and a British Film Institute training course on film festival planning.
Brief Encounters ran from November 15 to 19 at Watershed Media Centre and other selected venues in Bristol.
More information is available at www.brief-encounters.org.uk. (CMcL)