Q&A With One Lens Film Festival Sr. Programmers – What Do They Look For In Short Film Submissions

Have you ever wondered what happens after you submit your short film to One Lens Film Festival? Well you are in luck! We caught up with One Lens Film Festival Sr. Programmers Kaira Akita & Miles Maker to find out what qualities they look for in a short film submission.

 

Q: If you had to watch one movie in infinite replay what would it be?

Kaira – Forrest Gump

Miles – In the order they were made: Shawshank Redemption (1994) Interview with the Vampire (1994) Saving Private Ryan (1998) and The Matrix (1999).  On the surface these films are very different from each other, yet there’s a very profound character journey in each of these films.  I can watch them over and over again because of the fascinating immersive story worlds these films invite us into.

 

Q: Where is your favorite place in Los Angeles to discover films?

Kaira – Screeners in my living room

Miles – I attend a lot of private or exclusive screenings–mostly from student filmmakers at AFI, USC and UCLA.  I like to keep my finger on the pulse of emerging talent and I’m very happy to receive invitations to view student works–especially thesis films.  I also enjoy attending rough cut screenings hosted by filmmakers with projects in post-production.

 

Q: What are (3) characteristics you look for in short film submission when choosing you official selections?

Kaira – Original point of view, dynamic characters, thoughtful production value

Miles – I’m look for compelling characters in intriguing situations.  It’s not always about the ‘wow’ factor but a visual style and aesthetic flare holds a viewer’s attention, which is a difficult objective to accomplish do these days even with a short runtime.  Well-executed films combine strong elements of story premise, performances, sight and sound without a weak aspect and convey a clear theme or statement from its creator.

 

Q: In (3) words why should film makers submit their short films into the One Lens Film Festival?

Kaira – Fearless self expression

Miles – Share creative positivity

 

Make sure to keep up with Kaira at www.kairaakita.com and send a tweet to Miles at @milesmaker

The final deadline to submit your short films is July 31st. We encourage you to enter at www.onelensfilmfest.com

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