According to new figures from American market research company eMarketer, the number of smartphone users in the world will surpass two billion in 2016.
Technological advances have therefore placed video cameras in the hands of men and women, who at times have captured stories that are shared by millions through social media. This wave has birthed a new crop of potential film makers. The global film industry has taken notice and so has the T&T Film Company (FilmTT). FilmTT therefore launched the second annual Smartphone Film Festival on May 27.
A new global trend, this competition is a tremendous opportunity for smartphone users to enjoyably discover their hidden and often overlooked talents within their video captures.
A release from FilmTT said the organisation seeks to develop this intrinsic capacity within the country, and has partnered with KnowledgeTT to engage and educate all interested participants on internationally standardised filmmaking techniques with free access to their online resources.
Partnering with Blink bmobile and Samsung for this competition, members of the public are invited to submit five-minute short films, produced using only smartphone/mobile device technology.
Among other prizes, the winners will also have their films submitted into the Toronto and Tokyo Smartphone Film Festivals, two of the largest smartphone festivals worldwide. The export of such local talent, in keeping with FilmTT's mandate, opens the door to a new market for non-traditional, trendy filmmakers with the power of smartphones and the eye for capturing imagination.
There are no audience or age restrictions, anyone with a smartphone can participate. The deadline for submission is July 2015 and the campaign begins on May 30. Information will be accessible through radio, press and social media advertising.
Film TT is a subsidiary of CreativeTT and is focused on facilitating the economic expansion of the industry as well as the development of export potential for locally developed content, a release said.
