Smartphone film fest dangles $10,000 prize for your iPhone masterpiece

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publicity shot for Moment International Film Festival
You have a little over a month to make a three-minute classic.
Photo: Moment

Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh has sworn off big expensive motion picture cameras for the camera in his pocket. Your iPhone is no different from his, so get out there and make the movie that’s locked in your head. It could win you $10,000 in the Moment International Film Festival.

Submissions for the fifth-annual film fest will be accepted through March 29. This contest is for films shot on a smartphone. However, this year’s competition will allow drone footage for the first time.

Films should run no longer than three minutes, except in the Long Form category (sub-15 minutes, please). The other categories are narrative, mini-documentary, how-to and music video.

Fifteen finalists will be flown to New York City at the end of April to compete for $150,000 in cash and gear. The People’s Choice and the Filmmakers’ Choice awards each promise a $10,000 cash prize. Each category winner will receive $5,000, while all finalists are guaranteed $1,000, plus gear worth $2,500.

You can get more details on the Moment International Film Festival website. Check out the video below for more information, including what judges look for when picking a winner.

While the film festival drew thousands of entries last year, Moment remains best known for making professional-grade lenses and other accessories for smartphone photographers and filmmakers. This includes an anamorphic lens designed to bring a sweeping, cinematic look to your smartphone videos.

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