Yet another successful Cambridge Strawberry Shorts Film Festival and some say the best yet! Set in the historic surrounds of the Cambridge Festival Theatre, in front of a packed house we screened the final selection of the near 400 films submitted to us this year. (see below for the programme). Starting with our 3 judges, Tom Woodcock, Tina Kendall and Neil McCartney, talking to the audience about some of their criteria for a short film. We then launched into our programme, and the production was superb, thanks to the fantastic, projector and screen loaned to us by The Cambridge Film Trust.
At the end of the evening while the judges discussed their choices we engaged the audience in voting for the the Audience award. Working through the programme and voting on a show of hands with some entertaining comments and conversations on the films seen we soon came to a conclusion,the award going to the Iranian film, The Theft. A short, neat and complete film with an enigmatic ending which was still being debated days later. All this was held together with superb technical skill and high production values.
By then the Judges had come to their conclusions and returned to the theatre. They first gave us their individual commendation and a brief chat on the reasons for their choice.
Starting with Tom, he chose another Iranian entry, Crossword Puzzle. He admired the brevity, (note film makers, a criterion of short films looked for by all three judges, not just this year but every year). He admired the fact that it was filmed in only two shots and said “he wished he had seen it later in the programme as it had become a standard that had stayed with him throughout the rest of the screenings”.
Next, Tina commended Ham Story. Quote, “…absolutely incredible, ….. extraordinarily detailed, extraordinarily complex… loved how desire was visualised”.
Neil went for Voice Over. He, “loved how the film took us to so many places, … the film maker managing to communicate so many different emotions”.
Then Neil announced the the overall winner and receiver of the Judges Award, which went to Foto. He said that they all agreed that it was the most complete of all the entries, cleverly beginning in such a way as to give no clue as to its direction and eventually doing what it was trying to do very, very well, (and which, for the audience, was scaring us rigid).
As for us, the organisers, we would like to commend all of the films in the final selection. They all had something special going for them,which is why we picked them. And of course a big thank you to the other 350 plus films submitted, we watched them all and although the majority were not chosen they gave us a huge amount of entertainment.
Thank you all.
Strawberry Shorts 2013 Photo Gallery
Check out this bijou Strawberry Shorts Film Festival 2013 photo gallery.
click to enlarge
The Jury
In no particular order, the 2013 jury consisted of:
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Tina Kendall is course leader for Film Studies at Anglia Ruskin University. She is the co-founder of ARU’s Campus Cinema, and serves…Read More…
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Tom Woodcock, very much a local man, has been closely involved in the Cambridge film scene for many years…Read More…
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Neil McCartney is a journalist, consultant, producer and entrepreneur. He is co-founder of a number of initiatives including…Read More…
Running Order
Strawberry Shorts took place on the evening of Friday 31 May in The Cambridge Festival Theatre located at 38 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8DT.
The Doors opened at 18:30.
The screening was split into two programmes.
The first programme started at 19:30
There was an intermission followed by the second programme at 21:30.
The awards were announced at 23:00.
Previous Awards Winners
The Strawberry Shorts Film Festival has a focus on local Cambridgeshire home-grown talent with our Best Local Film Competitive Programme.
We make both an Audience and a Jury award, with the victors receiving a coveted La fraise d’Or.
Although we showcase the work of local filmmakers we very much welcome films from outside our region, bringing the best, the greatest and the latest short films from all over the World to a large, friendly and receptive local audience.
| Year | Film | Director | Award | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Pussyfoot | John Davis | Best Local Film Jury Award | |
| Secrecy | Ann Evelin Lawford | Best Overall Film Jury Award | ||
| Pussyfoot | John Davis | Best Local Film Audience Award | ||
| Pussyfoot | John Davis | Best Overall Film Audience Award | ||
| 2011 | Beach | James Lark | Best Local Film Jury Award | |
| Striptease | Juan Carlevaris, Charlie Arnaiz | Best Overall Film Jury Award | ||
| Beach | James Lark | Best Local Film Audience Award | ||
| Toothless | Steven Dorrington | Best Overall Film Audience Award | ||
| 2009 | Factotum | Helen Johnson Tom McPhee | Jury Award | |
| Silence | Simon Panrucker | Audience Award | ||
| 2008 | Konnichiwa Burning Man 2007 | Nicholas B. MacNider | Jury Award | |
| Video Game Violence: The Documentary | Dan Brand | Audience Award | 1st Place | |
| Kraesy Kitchen | Marc Abrahams | Audience Award | 2nd Place | |
| Magnificent Revolution | Jess Blake | Audience Award | 3nd Place |
Thanks
Cambridge Cinema Shorts would like to thank the Cambridge Film Trust and The Cambridge Buddhist Centre for their support.