Virtual Film Festival Features Smartphone Movies

Press Release

APRIL 27, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Virtual Film Festival Features Smartphone Movies in San Diego

What does Russia, Scotland, France, and California have in common? Films shot with iPhones from each of these locations received awards in San Diego’s 9th Annual International Mobile Film Festival 2020 this last weekend.

The festival only accepts films shot with smartphones, with an allowance of 10% aerial drone footage. The festival is a live event that takes place each year in San Diego. It brings filmmakers from different parts of the world. Some past attending filmmakers have come to San Diego for the festival from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Canada, Indonesia, Germany, Chile, Macedonia, UK and others, including different states and cities within the U.S.

The festival has traditionally held its festival in San Diego during the last weekend of April each year. This year, due to the Corona Virus COVID-19 situation, the festival had only weeks to shift gears into a unique virtual film festival event. With the participation of all the filmmakers who approved their films to screen online, judges and other participants; the festival was able to still hold its event during the same weekend. Online.

In all, 26 short films and 2 full length feature films screened this last weekend, preceded by a show that was live streamed prior to the screening of the films. The short films were between 1 and 5 minutes long, and the two feature films were roughly 90 minutes long.

The variety of genres included thrillers, musicals, experimental, narrative, comedy, documentaries and more. The wide spectrum of entertainment showcased the virtues and benefits of mobile smartphone filmmaking. Coupled with artistic talent and technological skill, each film was an outstanding and impressive work of storytelling and art.

Awardees were announced on Sunday, April 26th with a virtual red carpet segment which showcased previous years’ filmmakers on the red carpet. The segment ended with an entertaining montage of video from the 2019 “Red Carpet Extravaganza!” with the Star Wars Steampunk Universe group members dressed in cosplay escorting filmmakers of all ages on the red carpet.

The awards presented were as follows: Best Feature Film - “Stealth” by Inga Vosk, St. Petersburg, Russia; Short Film Awards: First Prize “Submerged” by Tom F. Pardo, Nice, France; Second Prize “Benched” by Jamiel Laurence, Glasgow, Scotland; and Third Prize “Never Wanna Grow Up” by Oleg Loparev, Sherman Oaks, California.

Although the winning films were all shot with iPhones, other smartphone brands like Samsung, Sony and LG were used in other films.

The filmmakers whose films were official selections were Ryan McDonald, Malwina Wodzicka, Ian Leer, Matteo Tibiletti, Roma Flowers, Jason Marshall, Elizabeth Martínez López, Saeed Mayahy, Roshni "Rush" Bhatia, Ehsan Majooni, Mickey Harrison, Lindy Fines, Jimmy Gannon, Leslie Brockett, Lucy Grossi, Levi Morris, Cara Rust, Amhalise Morgan, Nicolas Dumas, Alex O'Dogherty, Cameo Wood, ZI YE, Cristiano Soares, and Alexandra Guillossou.

IMFF 2020 was set to bring actor Jed Brophy known for his roles in the Lord Of The Rings, and The Hobbit. Mr. Brophy was to present a Q & A after a special presentation of a New Zealand iPhone shot feature film titled "Blue Moon" written and directed by Stef Harris. Jed Brophy and Mark Hadlow who were protagonists in the film participated in the virtual show for the festival with individual video messages.

Festival sponsors: Red Giant, FilmConvert, Swords and Circuitry Studios, Star Wars Steampunk Universe, Indiana Filmmakers Network.

International Mobile Film Festival launched in 2009 from San Diego by S. Botello Productions™ (2006). Founder Susy Botello created International Mobile Film Festival as the centerpiece of an organic strategy to expand and support mobile filmmaking as a distinctive art form worldwide. She also created programs like the Mobile Film School (2012) and is host of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking (2017).

You can follow IMFF on social media: Facebook @MobilFilmFestival | Instagram @MobileFilmSD | Twitter @MobilFilmFest and @MobileFilmSD

Hashtags: #MobileFilmSD #MFF2020SanDiego

Media contact, Susy Botello Twitter: @SusyBotello