It’s time to grab your smart phone or video camera – remember those? – and put the city on the big screen for the annual Ipswich Film Festival for Youth (IFFY).
There’s nothing IFFY about Oscar Crisp. A four-time winner at the Ipswich Film Festival for Youth and sharing his name with one of the industry’s highest honours, the QUT student directed The Averages in 2015 followed by Snap in 2016.
“The whole idea for Snap came more by accident. The main character, Benjamin Mate, and myself were playing around with some editing software to see if we could pull off the ‘stopped time’ effect,” Crisp said.
“When the theme ‘Hero’ was released for IFFY 2016 we thought it could form a whole story about a troubled teen who could stop time.
“We shot the film in two days and edited the whole video in a day. It was a relatively quick turn around time.”
IFFY gives budding writers and directors aged seven to 25 an opportunity to bring their creative flair to the big screen.
This year’s theme is ‘Grow’. It can be interpreted in any and every way and judges will be looking for films that best reflect the theme.
“I am unsure if I will be entering again this year. I have entered the competition since 2015 and it has been an amazing experience making a film and then seeing it on the big screen,” Crisp said.
“It doesn’t matter what equipment or camera gear you have, if you are able to tell a story to an audience you will be surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response.
“I have no idea how I would approach the theme ‘Grow’, it’s so broad so anything could fit. I might do something with superheroes? Or maybe something involving an experimental drug that turns you into a giant?”
Crisp said IFFY was the perfect launching pad to bigger and better things, maybe even outer space.
“My goal is to work in the film and TV industry either editing or directing,” he said.
“My ultimate goal would be to direct an episode of Doctor Who. As the Ipswich Film Festival for Youth was my first big win it has certainly pointed me in the right direction for things like that to happen.”
Know your terms and conditions
- This year’s theme is ‘Grow’.
- The seven categories with cash and prizes up for grabs are: Primary School, Secondary School, Individual 7-12, Individual 13-17, Individual 18-25, Animation/Stop Motion and Overall.
- Entries will be accepted from anywhere in world.
- Films should be a couple of minutes long, we’re not looking for the next Lord of the Rings.
- Entries close on Sunday 28 January.
- You can find more important info here.
