Elleston

A film festival takes people from all over the globe to one locale to view and judge movies, but despite the excitement generated when patrons and stakeholders are gathered in one place, the Internet is cutting out much of the expenses incurred and hassle to get to and from these events. You can stay right in your bed with your laptop and view the offerings from all parts of the world.

And, as with everything else, we here in Jamaica must get a piece of the action, literally. CEllesty Studios is now hosting an online film festival from right here in Jamaica. According to founder Clifton Elleston, "CEllesty Online International Film Festival (CIFF) is the first Internet film fest in Jamaica, and the first on the Web to include feature films, as other festivals on the Web host short films only".

level playing field

Elleston said the purpose of the festival was to create a level playing field for independent film-makers via the Internet by giving them an opportunity to show their talent and skills to a global audience. The objectives of this ambitious venture are "to achieve recognition among the top-10 online film fest and to attract top independent film-makers and independent studios participating in CIFF." He intends to "market CIFF in the popular film-making markets - Mumbai, Hollywood, Tokyo, London, Toronto, to name a few."

Registration was opened on September 1 and closes November 30. Entries are made online at www.blackcarpetpremier.com. Elleston said films, including animations and documentaries of any length and genre, may be sent by flash drives, DVDs or by email attachments to one of the agents listed on the website or to filmfestival@blackcarpetpremier.com. Deadline for films to reach agents is December 21, he said.

Recognising that this is a mammoth undertaking, Elleston said he was prepared for it, especially with the business aspect as his "background is in finance and accounting". He's currently taking a break from studies, having started a Master in Business Administration at University College of the Caribbean. But it is movies that are close to his heart.

"I have a genuine love for movies. I got started back in 1997 when I visited Atlanta. A friend of mine had a video camera and I was playing around with it, doing some short video clips. It amazed me to see how he put the different clips together with some he had and made a short movie. From that day, I appreciate movies more, especially how they are made. I started videotaping as a hobby in 2004 with a Panasonic digital camera. I videotaped all the 'Jesus parties' from that time up to 2007," he said.

sponsors

The project is being financed from Elleston's own pockets and, as such, he's hoping that local sponsors will come on board, especially with providing plaques and trophies. The sponsors so far are www.productionhub.com, based in the United States; www.filmeverything.com and www.silverfoxdanceclub.com, based in Great Britain. They will be providing online marketing and promotions. Other international sponsorships are pending.

No cash award will be granted this year, but it is hoped that the second instalment will see many cash prizes, Elleston said. Winners of the nine categories and sub-categories will be notified by email and announcements made at a press confe-rence and through releases. No award ceremony is planned. Trophies and plaques will be shipped to winners, who will be chosen by a panel of five judges, three of whom have already been confirmed. Online voting will take place from January 2 to February 10, with blackcarpetpremier.com hosting the films.