SmartFone Flick Fest

SmartFone Flick Fest
LocationSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Founded2015
Awards
  • Best Film for short films
  • Best Feature Film
  • Kids Award
  • AI Award
  • Mini Mobile Award
  • Social Media Video Award
DirectorsAngela Blake
Festival date15–17 November 2024
Websitesf3.com.au

SmartFone Flick Fest, also known as SF3, is an annual film festival held in Sydney, Australia, since 2015. It screens films made on smartphones and tablets, awarding 40 prizes over six categories.

History

The SmartFone Flick Fest was founded by filmmaker and educator Angela Blake and actress, producer, and radio presenter Ali Crew,[1] with the first edition held in 2015.[2][3]

In 2019 the SF3 Best Feature Film Category was introduced.[1]

In 2023, previous records were broken, with over 458 submissions received, including 28 feature films, by filmmakers from over 60 countries. A horror film called Paralysis, created by Levi Austin Morris, won Best Feature Film.[4][5]

The 10th anniversary edition is held on the weekend of 16-17 November 2024 in Sydney, and online until 2 December. In addition, in partnership with the 13th annual MINA Festival[3] (run by the Mobile Innovation Network and Association[6]) – a joint festival is being held on Friday 8 November at ACMI in Federation Square, Melbourne, featuring the best films.[3][7]

Description

The SmartFone Flick Fest is a festival for films made using mobile phones. It is held annually in Sydney, and awards over A$50,000 in prizes.[2] As of 2024, the films are screened at the Palace Chauvel Cinema in Paddington.[3]

Filmmakers of all ages from anywhere in the world are eligible to enter the competitions, so long as the entry has been filmed entirely on a smartphone or tablet.[2] Finalist films are shared with other film festivals across the globe[1]

The festival also holds workshops throughout the year, both live and online. SF3 teaches teach in partnership with the National Institute of Dramatic Art, the Powerhouse Museum, the Actors Centre Australia, WIFT NSW, as well as local councils and arts centres across Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Ethiopia, Jamaica, America, Europe, and Asia.[1]

Categories

In 2024, the categories are:[2]

  • SF3 Best Film for short films (20 minutes and under)
  • SF3 Best Feature Film
  • SF3 Kids Award (18 years and under)
  • SF3 AI Award, for short films made using AI
  • SF3 Mini Mobile Award, for films up to 3 minutes long
  • SF3 Social Media Video Award

There are also a number of other prizes awarded, including Best Cinematography, Best Director, People's Choice Award, Best Actor and Actress, etc.;[2] in total, 40 awards across the six categories.[1]

Ambassadors

The 2024 ambassadors of SF3 are: filmmakers Phillip Noyce, Kerry Armstrong, Christopher Stollery, Kriv Stenders, actress Nicole da Silva, smartphone filmmaker Jason van Genderen, producer Anthony Kierann, Sydney Morning Herald journalist Garry Maddox, cinematographer Pieter de Vries, disability advocate Emily Prior, First Nations filmmaker Darlene Johnson,[2] and Venezuelan actor Luis Fernandez.[3]

Notable past winners

In 2022, Darcy Yuille's One Punch won SF3 Best Feature Film, before going on to screen at many other festivals, winning best film at Berlin Independent Film Festival, Dublin Smartphone Film Festival, the International Mobil Film Festival based in San Diego, and the Spanish festival Cinephone – Festival Internacional de Cine con Smartphone. In addition, Yuille won Best Director and Best Cinematography at the African Smartphone International Film Festival.[8]

Idiotproof, co-directed by Laura Brogan Browne and Jonathan Lagudi and starring Lagudi, is a heist film shot in Sydney on a smartphone. It won the SF3 Best New Filmmaker Award in 2023, and also screened at many other festivals, including the Toronto Smartphone Film Festival, New York Mobile Film Festival, Dublin Smartphone Film Festival, and others. It is being developed into a feature film in collaborating with screenwriter Damian Overton.[9] In that year, Lodi, by Courtney Coker, won Best Feature Film and Best Director Awards.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "SmartFone Flick Fest". SF3. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "SF3". FilmFreeway. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e Kornits, Dov (26 October 2024). "The rise and rise of smartphone films – Australia leads the way". FilmInk. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  4. ^ Cooper, Justin (24 November 2023). "Smartphone film festival winners announced". City Hub. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  5. ^ Kornits, Dov (1 October 2023). "SF3 > The Smartest Film Festival in Australia". FilmInk. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Home". MINA. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  7. ^ "The rise and rise of smartphone films – Australia leads the way". Sydney Times. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  8. ^ Fletcher, James (5 July 2022). "Darcy Yuille: One Punch Man". FilmInk. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  9. ^ Kornits, Dov (13 October 2024). "Short Film of the Week: Idiot-Proof". FilmInk. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  10. ^ "A complete list of our 2023 Award Winners". SF3. 13 January 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.