Tasmanian BOFA Film Festival 2013 Screen Competitions Announced

Karena Slaninka, Director, Screen Tasmania and Robert Connelly, director/producer, with the 2012 Tasmanian BOFA Devil Awards

22 August, 2013 -The Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival (BOFA) has announced three BOFA Devil Screen Competitions as part of the 2013 Festival scheduled for November 7-10 at the Inveresk Precinct in Launceston.

Festival Director Owen Tilbury said that BOFA, now in its fourth year, will focus in 2013 on challenging and acknowledging the highly creative Tasmanian screen industry with not just one but three competitions and awards.

“The competitions and awards reflect the importance of script writing, short film production and entrepreneurship in the making of a successful career in the Tasmanian screen industry,” Mr. Tilbury said.

“Every successful film starts with a great idea creatively expressed that then needs to be effectively produced and creatively directed to bring it to life. But it is entrepreneurial skills that often distinguish one highly creative Tasmanian film maker from another. This year, we also want to acknowledge and reward entrepreneurial Tasmanian screen practitioners who have the right mix of creativity and business acumen to persuade investors that their film needs to be brought to life on the big screen, and who use innovation and vision to grow businesses that create sustainable jobs and investment.”

BOFA again partners with the Australian Writers Guild (AWG) and Screen Tasmania in conducting a Tasmanian Script Writing competition for Tasmanian resident script writers with an unproduced script for a feature film, tele-drama or TV series (first episode). In 2012 almost 30 scripts were entered. The winner will receive products and services courtesy of AWG and will have the winning script read by a professional team of actors in front of an industry audience at BOFA.

Resident Tasmanian Film makers are invited to submit their short films (made in the last five years and maximum length 15 minutes) in a new Tasmanian Short Film competition. Up to 15 short films will be selected and screened before feature length films and documentaries at BOFA 2013. The winner will be selected on the basis of quality film making and story-telling but also on how well the story aligns with the festival’s focus on fresh perspectives in screen-based story-telling and on facing personal or community or global challenges.

Nominations will be sought for a new Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to recognise the work of a member of Tasmania’s screen industry who has shown outstanding entrepreneurial spirit either in getting screen projects off the ground, developing their screen business, forming collaborative partnerships, and/or actively working to create a sustainable and viable screen industry in Tasmania.

All winners in the three competitions will be presented with a blown glass BOFA Devil Award and prizes ranging from products, script reading by a professional theatre company, and festival tickets to films, as well as invitations to the BOFA Food, Wine ‘n’ Film Dinner.

Mr Tilbury said that the prizes had been chosen not only to recognise excellence but to assist the film makers in their careers.

Complete competition details, terms and conditions are now available on the BOFA website at http://bofa.com.au/2013/home/prizes-awards/.

Competitions close at COB Friday 27th September, 2013

The Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania and Screen Tasmania.

BOFA FILM FESTIVAL: THURSDAY 7TH – SUNDAY 10TH NOVEMBER, 2013

BOFA is the first major Australian festival to recognize and celebrate story-telling on all screens from cinema and TV to gaming, internet and beyond. BOFA 2013 will feature the world’s finest examples of screen-based story-telling, with Q & As, short film competitions, screen industry workshops, the evocative M.A.D. (Make a Difference) Day events, the Big Picture Debate, fabulous food, wine and parties, and much more. BOFA 2013 will prove again that this festival is a real “breath of fresh air”.

Follow BOFA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BOFAFilmFest

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BOFAFilmFest

Website: http://bofa.com.au/2013/
BOFA. Festival Director Owen Tilbury