JamesonNotodofilmfest continues to work toward its original goal: to be the platform for the launching and dissemination of new generations of directors and industry professionals, and to constantly revitalize its program of activities with new formats and events that respond to the demands of its participants.
In previous editions, the festival was able to attract more than 44 million spectators to its offerings, more than 7 million in the last edition alone. More than 11,000 original films from 38 countries have allowed viewers to discover the talent of new artists –now proven directors- such as Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, Nacho Vigalondo, Rodrigo Cortés and Carlos Vermut, recent winner for Best Director at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
The 13th edition of the JamesonNotodofilmfest returns to the fray with new prizes, more screening options and an intense educational program at the hands of acclaimed professionals. “Formats change and evolve but we maintain our initial spirit: we want the JamesonNotodofilmfest to be a festival without limits. A field for exploration and play where experiences, inspiration and mistakes can be shared,” affirms Álvaro Matías, the festival’s Director and General Director of La Fábrica, the competition’s organizer along with Jameson Irish Whiskey, that for the tenth year straight has renewed its commitment to film and culture by actively participating in the growth and development of the festival, whose jury will be presided over by Fernando Franco.
Fernando Franco was editor on such movies as Blancanieves (Pablo Berger, 2012), No tengas miedo (Montxo Armendáriz, 2011) and Bon Appetit (David Pinillos, 2010). He made the leap to directing last year with his own screenplay for La Herida (The Wound), which won the Goya for Best New Director. His shorts La media vuelta (2011), Room (2010) and Tu(a)mor(2009) have won awards at both national and international festivals.
For Franco, “the JamesonNotodofilmfest is crucial for many reasons. Mainly because it democratizes the showing of films. Anyone, whether amateurs or professionals, can make their shorts available to everyone, so that ultimately the success of a work is just a question of talent.”
For his part, Álvaro Matías explains that the choice of Fernando Franco arose from “a search for a personable filmmaker able to share their experience and serve as an example. His commitment to personal projects attests to qualities such as perseverance and self-confidence that as President of the jury he can transmit to other participants.”
A LOT OF FILMS IN A SHORT TIME
A new edition of JamesonNotodofilmfest is beginning, with more than 47,000 € in prizes. The submission period is open from November 25 to February 10; participants can send their unpremiered shorts with a maximum duration of 3½ minutes or 30 seconds if they are participating in the Triple Distillation category.
For Fernando Franco, “the short is a format with its own autonomy. It’s neither better nor worse than other formats, but simply different. It annoys me when I’m interviewed and they talk about making the jump to feature length films. There’s no jump. You have to see it as a two-way street, not as a step up to another qualitatively superior level. Some of my favorite directors never made a feature film.”
Fernando Franco has put together an exceptional jury for this edition: Ernesto Sevilla (Muchachada Nui, Museo Coconut), Emma Suárez (actress of films and theater: Los hijos de Kennedy, La buena estrella, El Perro del Hortelano), Julio de la Rosa (composer of the soundtracks to La isla mínima, Siete Vírgenes and After), Montxo Armendáriz (National Film Award, director and writer of Obaba, and Historias del Kronen), Jonás Trueba (director and writer of Los ilusos and Todas las canciones hablan de mí), and the festival’s founder Javier Fesser (El Milagro de P. Tinto, Camino, Mortadelo y Filemón contra Jimmy El Cachondo) are the professionals who will accompany Franco in the task of choosing the festival’s nominees and winners. Moreover, they’re all invited to premiere shorts which will be available for viewing on the festival website.
You can see the presentation ad of the A Lot of Films in a Short Time festival here.
NEW AWARDS, MORE OPORTUNITIES
Cash awards as well as those supporting production and instruction have been a constant in all the festival’s editions. In this way, not only are finished works awarded but the development of new projects is encouraged.
In this edition the festival maintains its traditional categories: Jameson Grand Prize for Best Picture, Jameson Triple Distillation Award for Best Picture, Latin American prize for Best Short, ECAM Award for Best Director, Best Screenplay Award, Cámera Abierta 2.0 Prize for Best Documentary, Best Animated Film Award, Best Actress and Actor awards, IED Prize for best Art Direction, prizes for distribution, and the EL PAÍS Audience Award. New categories include The Paramount Channel You Need Movies in Your Life Award for Best Remake, the Canal + #ExploitYourImagination Award and the Mobile Prize.
You can consult all the awards here.
All participating shorts will compete for the Jameson Triple Distillation Award for Best Picture, worth 1,500 € and a trip to Dublin to visit the Jameson distillery.
Paramount Channel. You Need Movies in Your Life Award for Best Remake
For the first time, Paramount Channel will offer festival participants the chance to show their work on a free-access movie channel that is creating multiple synergies with the JamesonNotodofilmfest. Their collaboration will allow the nominees and prize winner to be present among the diverse contents of this distinguished channel. Participants wishing to compete in this category must present their original version of the most famous films in history in just 3½ minutes. The winner will win 1,500 €.
Canal + #ExploitYourImagination Award
With the participation of Canal +, JamesonNotodofilmfest returns to its home, since Spain’s main pay cable channel was one of its principal sponsors for its first editions. In this new chapter there will be room to show the most noteworthy films as well as special reports on festival events on its specialized programs. To compete for the Canal + #ExploitYourImagination Award participants will be asked to complete the story proposed by an acclaimed director and writer. The infinite endings invented will compete for 1,500 €.
ECAM, THE FESTIVAL’S ASSOCIATED SCHOOL
The Community of Madrid Film School (ECAM) joins forces with the festival for the Best Director award, a category recognizing the talent needed to coordinate the creative process of making a movie and transmitting a unique vision. ECAM will provide the winner with the means necessary for producing a short film at its facilities and with the school’s technical resources.
In addition, ECAM will be a partner of the NotodofilmSchool, the program of workshops which the festival conducts throughout the entire year. The current course began with an assistant director’s workshop lead by Sara Mazquiaran, and will be followed by others at ECAM’s facilities and La Fabrica’s own classroom.
THE MOBILE PRIZE. TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL NETWORKS
The festival has always been open to the most brilliant ideas regardless of the format or resources needed to carry them out. The festival is constantly looking for ways to revitalize its program, and in a context in which the Internet, social networks and communication 2.0 are a reality, the festival is necessarily open to new ideas.
A new category will be inaugurated for this edition in order to acknowledge the importance of mobile devices in the creation of audiovisual works: the Mobile Prize. This technology facilitates the telling of stories in a quick and agile manner, without sacrificing quality.
JamesonNotodofilmfest continues to work toward the creation of a community of audiovisual artists, and to that end, for the first time the festival’s website will include each director’s Twitter account and/or webpage. In this way the festival hopes to increase its potential as a communications tool for all the participating filmmakers’ needs.
What’s more, the festival is also launching its own Instagram account, thus offering one more way to connect the event’s followers, another example of the festival’s aim to create synergies and respond to participants’ needs.
JAMESON STUDIO
JamesonNotodofilmfest consolidates its monthly program of activities.
The Cineteca is participating as a partner in this edition and will organize three screening sessions. Also featured are encounters with industry professionals who will share their most recent experiences. The program of activities will open with an encounter with Javier Fesser and Luis Manso (Pendelton Productions) to discuss with participants their experience during the production of Mortadelo y Filemón contra Jimmy El Cachondo. It will take place at La Fábrica (c/ Alameda 9, Madrid) next Friday, the 28th, coinciding with the movie’s premiere.
JAMESON, 10 YEARS SUPPORTING EMERGING FILMMAKERS
Jameson Irish Whiskey is the world’s number 1 selling Irish whiskey. The success of this Irish brand is due to its excellent quality and smooth flavor, coupled with the long history of the firm, which was founded in 1780 by the legendary John Jameson. Since 1998 the company has been involved in the film world and continues to participate in festivals and events that support and encourage young filmmakers and fans, such as the Jameson First Shot, Jameson Cult Film Club, Done in 60 Seconds and the Jameson Empire Awards.
For ten years straight, Jameson has shown a commitment to movies and young filmmakers, and has again become co-organizer of the festival, a project that epitomizes the values of the Irish whiskey maker: spontaneity, originality and passion for cinema.
THE FESTIVAL IS A COLLECTIVE ENTERPRISE
JamesonNotodofilmfest would be impossible to produce without the support of the 23 partners, institutions, companies and media outlets participating in this edition. The festival enjoys the institutional support of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, the Institute of Film and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA), and Cooperación Española. Principal partners are EL PAIS, the Madrid Cineteca, Paramount Channel, CANAL + and ECAM; the European Design Institute of Madrid, Estudio Corazza for actors, the TVE program Cámara Abierta 2.0, Filmin, Uptofest.com, DCP Cine and feelshorts.com are sponsors of special awards. As technological partners: Flumotion, NTT Comunications and Elenco. Festival collaborators are HDRent, 8 ½ bookshop, Audiomusic Networks, and Shakelton. Notodo.com, Cámara Abierta 2.0. and EL PAIS are associated media outlets.
