Mole Hill receives the main DepicT! 2012 award from Dave Sproxton of Aardman Animations

Mole Hill won DepicT! 2012 with Fat Cat, his fantastic animated commentary on the desire to make excessive amounts of money.

We caught up with Mole Hill recently to gain some insight, for those of you who are thinking of applying…

What drew you to the 90 second format?

I really like the 90 second format, shorter than a short but longer than a commercial it gives enough time to tell a fairly complex story, whilst forcing the film-maker to be succinct.

What was your level of experience before submitting to DepicT?

I’ve been knocking around for ages, I started out making shorts for C4 back in the 80s and have worked on children’s series, commercials, stings – anything that comes along really.  Over the last few years I’ve started making shorts again, taking advantage of the new technologies that have made film-making so accessible lately.

What have you been up to since your DepicT! success? Where did the competition take you?

Winning at Depict was fantastic – It’s particularly good that the films get a bit of distribution after the event itself.  I used the prize money to buy a camera and have started on a new short – I’ve completed the first shot, so at this rate it should be finished sometime in 2020!

In 9 words can you sum up why DepicT! is so important to emerging filmmakers?

A great showcase, a firm deadline, a creative opportunity.

Watch Fat Cat now →

RPS Education Manager Liz Williams says of the new partnership:

“The RPS is delighted to be working with Watershed and DepicT! in offering an award for the best cinematography amongst the shortlisted films. The Society has always been a strong supporter of the moving image giving RPS Awards to the likes of Roger Deakins, John Mathieson and Sir Ridley Scott. We feel it’s important to recognise this swiftly changing and influential medium by helping and supporting up and coming film makers; this new award seems a perfect way of doing it and it’s the ideal time: Encounters are planning a major focus on cinematography this year.”

DepicT! producer Maddy Probst said:

“The partnership with the RPS is a very exciting development for DepicT! We share a passion for image making, innovative practice and an ambition to uncover and progress distinctive creative talent. We’re also both based in the South West of the UK but place no boundaries on our desire to connect with filmmakers, artists and audiences across the globe.”

Now in its fifteenth year, DepicT! is challenging the worldwide creative community to once again create distinctive, imaginative and engaging short films under 90 seconds long. As a result of the new partnership, the cash prizes have now doubled to a mighty £3,000 including £500 up for grabs for the winner of the Shooting People RPS Audience Award, the first time this gong has ever had a cash prize.

The DepicT! RPS Cinematography Award will be selected by the DepicT! Jury alongside the main DepicT! Award of £1500 at the 19th Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival (17 – 22 September, Bristol).

So why 90 seconds? Because it challenges filmmakers to think creatively and edit ruthlessly. More importantly, it gets talented filmmakers and their work noticed. As Mole Hill, who scooped the top prize for The Fat Cat at DepicT! 2012, said:

“There’s something about the 90 second format – longer than a commercial, but shorter than a short – that seems to bring out a really high level of invention and experimentation in all the filmmakers.”

The deadline for entries is Mon 8 July at 17:00 so it’s not too late to submit your super short film!

Looking for some inspiration? For the 5th year running, the DepicT! 2012 winning shorts are screening at cinemas and film societies across the UK over the next few months. Venues include London’s Curzon Soho and Renoir, Sheffield Showroom, Glasgow Film Theatre, the Irish Film Institute, Plymouth Arts Centre, the National Media Museum in Bradford, Yeovil Cinemateque, The Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford and of course Watershed in Bristol.

Every year, the shortlisted DepicT! filmmakers are given the opportunity to network at Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival (17-22 Sept 2013), the UK’s longest running competitive short film and animation festival held right here in Bristol. While at the festival they get priceless exposure to distributors, producers, funder, exhibitors, other filmmakers, and enthusiastic fans of the short film format.

DepicT! is now in its fourteenth year and prides itself on the quality of its little gems, not to mention the quality of the filmmakers who submit them. Previous DepicT! winners have had their work screened at international film festivals, been picked up by commercial distributors, and carved themselves strong and successful careers in the film industry – even being recognised as Stars of Tomorrow by industry magazine Screen International.

Why 90 seconds? Because it will challenge you to think creatively and to cut ruthlessly. More importantly, it will get you and your work noticed. As Anna Ginsberg, one of the DepicT! winners from last year, said: “DepicT! is a great format in which the time constraint is in many ways liberating”. Some of the other DepicT! filmmakers and judges shared their thoughts on the 90 second format in this short film we made last year at the DepicT! showcase during Encounters:

Mole Hill, who scooped the top £1,500 cash prize for their film The Fat Cat at DepicT! 2012, said:

“The competition was incredibly strong and varied in both style and content. There’s something about the 90 second format – longer than a commercial, but shorter than a short – that seems to bring out a really high level of invention and experimentation in all the filmmakers.”

DepicT! accepts films from anywhere in the world, from any genre, and it’s totally free to enter. The one and only caveat is that your short film must be 90 seconds or less. That’s it! So what’s stopping you? Pack your tiny film with masses of creativity and send it to us.

You have until Mon 8 July 2013 to upload your little gem to us, giving you plenty of time to read the rules and get a short bit of inspiration by checking out our archive of 13 years of teeny, tiny shorts. Who knows – maybe next year we’ll be telling everyone to watch your creation for inspiration?

The winning film, Fat Cat

This year’s DepicT! jury session brought together seasoned industry figures such as Producer Chris Auty, now Head of Producing at NFTS, David Sproxton from Aardman Animations and Karen Alexander from the Royal College of Art. After a lively and lengthy discussion at Encounters, the jury did eventually arrive at a consensus despite “no single film standing head and shoulders above the others.”

That said, what the fat cat wants the fat cat gets… Mole Hill walked away with the main DepicT! Award and the cash prize of £1,500 for The Fat Cat. David Sproxton described his film as ‘naïve in its execution yet sophisticated in its message.’

Mole Hill said:

“I’m absolutely delighted that ‘The Fat Cat’ was so well received at DepicT! – the competition was incredibly strong and varied in both style and content.  There’s something about the 90 second format – longer than a commercial, but shorter than a short – that seems to bring out a really high level of invention and experimentation in all the film-makers.”

Will Massa, Film Advisor at the British Council went on to present the British Special Mention to Anna Ginsburg for her animated film Living With Depression. Her short was praised for ‘representing the unrepresentable, quite a feat in such a short space of time.’

She has won a great package of career development opportunities from BAFTA, the National Film and Television School, The British Council and Shooting People. You’ll be able to follow her progress on depict.org

Anna Ginsburg says:

“I feel the programming at Encounters is so strong that any Award from this festival means a lot. DepicT! is a great format in which the time constraint is in many ways liberating.”

This year’s Shooting People DepicT! Audience Award went to Scott Coello for the infectiously upbeat Hey!. The Award was presented by Sarah Chorley, whose international networking organization Shooting People has secured Scott a lifetime membership along with a selection of DVDs and other goodies.

Scott Coello says:

“It’s mind blowing that the audience, both online and offline, connected with Hey! and enjoyed it enough to vote, especially considering the skitty-nonsense-whimsy-plotless-fun nature of the animation. It’s reassuring to know that I’m doing something right and encouraging to continue, develop and improve for future short films.”

Jury member and BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Karni Arieli from Karni+Saul (Flytopia) presented Dutch filmmaker Evelien Lohbeck with the inaugural DepicT! Random Acts Special Mention award for her film Big Signal: “Channel 4’s Random Acts is about bringing the most brilliant creative short bursts from all over the world to a mainstream UK TV audience. We selected a short, which we felt would offer late night viewers across the UK something memorable. The jury was struck by the simplicity and symmetry of the piece from dots to nature and back again.”

A huge thank you to the sponsors and supporters of DepicT! that enable us to run the competition, and also to all 600 filmmakers who submitted their 90 second films without which we wouldn’t have a competition!

Visit the Encounters site to view a full list of Awards.

Want the Inside story on Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival this year? Nine talented young journalists covered this year’s festival via a daily blog as part of a New Film Journalism Workshop.

A staggering variety of entries were received from all over the globe from Brazil and Ethiopia to Germany and Hungary and we very had a difficult job in selecting the shortlist. We received a record number of entries (over 600 from more than 30 countries!), and now the shortlisted films for DepicT! ‘12 are all available for your viewing pleasure.

These 15 tiny films have been selected stood out for their ability to be hugely distinctive, imaginative and engaging. They are all in the running for the four prestigious prizes, which will be announced during the Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival (Tue 18 – Sun 23 Sept). These include the main DepicT! Award of £1500, the British Special Mention Award and the Shooting People Audience Award, as well as the brand new DepicT! Random Acts Award, which gives one lucky winner the chance to have their film screened on Channel Four’s popular weeknight programme Random Acts.

The Shooting People Audience Award is where you come in – watch, vote, and comment on the shortlisted films online to help determine the winner!

The DepicT! ‘12 films will have their big screen premiere on Sat 22 Sept at 15:30 at the ever-popular DepicT! Showcase at Watershed, Bristol, as part of Encounters. The DepicT! showcase gives everyone a chance to see the films in a cinema setting, meet the talent behind them and find out more about the competition. Tickets are on sale now so snap them up to see these super shorts in their full splendour!

Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival (Tue 18 – Sun 23 Sept) is now in its superb 18th edition. Join us over six days of action-packed programmes to discover today’s best and brightest short filmmaking talent and more. For full details of all Encounters events, delegate registration and to purchase tickets online go to encounters-festival.org.uk

Last but not least, if you are a young filmmaker aged 21 or under, or part of an organisation working with under 21s, we’re delighted to invite you to submit your films to Electric December, an online advent calendar showcasing shorts by new talent from all across Europe.

The deadline has been extended to Fri 28 Sept so if you want to submit your short film (this time five minutes or less!) head on over to electricdecember.org now. Previous winners have received travel bursaries to attend the BUFF Young Peoples’ Film Festival in Malmö, Sweden – and we have some similar treats in store for whoever wins this year – good luck!

The judges are Chris Auty (NFTS), David Sproxton (Aardman Animations) Karen Alexander (Royal College of Art), Ravi Amaratunga (Channel 4), Will Massa (British Council), Sarah Chorley (Shooting People) and BAFTA nominated Karni Arieli (Karni+Saul) whose short Flytopia premieres at this year’s festival.

Creatives worldwide were challenged to come up with distinctive, imaginative and engaging shorts in just one minute and a half. With a record number of entries – 650 from 32 different countries whittled down to a shortlist of 15, the judges will have the difficult task of choosing winners for the main DepicT! Award of £1500 as well as the British Special Mention Award, a tailored package of career development opportunities from NFTS, BAFTA, British Council and Shooting People for a UK-based filmmaker.

For 2012, we join forces with Channel 4 to introduce the brand new DepicT! Random Acts Special Mention, which the Jury will also select. This is a fantastic opportunity for one of the shortlisted filmmakers to win a slot on Random Acts, Channel 4’s short-form arts strand that airs every weeknight.

Editor Ravi Amaratunga says:
“We’re delighted to be offering this unique opportunity for the very best creative filmmakers out there. Random Acts is absolutely committed to showcasing the most brilliant creative short bursts from all over the world to a mainstream UK TV audience and cannot wait to see what the high calibre of entrants to DepicT! have to offer.”

All will be revealed; there are just few weeks to go until the shortlist goes live on depict.org on Mon 3 September for everyone’s viewing and voting pleasure as part of the very popular DepicT! Shooting People Audience Award.

The tiny shorts get their big screen premiere at the ever-popular DepicT! Showcase (Sat 18 Sept, 15:00) at the 18th Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival (18 – 23 September) one of the world’s leading showcases and meeting points for emerging talent. The winners will be announced by members of the Jury later on that evening at the festival’s prestigious Award Ceremony. After the festival, the winning films will also be digitised by Arts Alliance Media and made available for theatrical screenings at cinemas across the UK.

Maddy Probst, DepicT! Producer comments:
“A staggering variety of entries were received from all over the globe from Brazil and Ethiopia to Germany and Hungary. The range of styles, subjects and ideas expressed in these shortest of shorts never ceases to amaze me. The jury has a tough job ahead of them!”

DepicT! is a Watershed project part of Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival sponsored by Aardman Animations and Films@59 with support from BAFTA, British Council, NFTS, Arts Alliance Media, Channel 4, Shooting People, in partnership with the Independent Cinema Office.

The 2012 DepicT! Jury:

·      Chris Auty – Head of Producing, NFTS
Former film critic Chris Auty has produced films including Stealing Beauty, My Summer of Love, In This World and 24 Hour Party People and is currently Head of Producing at NFTS. He sits on the governing board of the European Film Academy and has just launched a new course (EPCRI), backed by the NFTS, Ingenious Media, and Sir Richard Branson.

·      Will Massa – Film Advisor, British Council
Will is Film Advisor at British Council, working to promote new British work internationally. Will is also Development Co-ordinator for Rankin Film (the new film wing of photographer, Rankin) overseeing their recently launched Collabor8te Shorts Scheme.

·      Karen Alexander – Senior lecturer, Royal College of Art
Karen Alexander is currently a senior tutor in the RCA's Curating Contemporary Art department. Prior to that she worked as a film curator and freelance consultant on film exhibition and distribution.

·      David Sproxton – Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Aardman Animations
David is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Aardman. Together with co-founder Peter Lord, he has overseen the development of the company from a two-man partnership to one of the pre-eminent animation houses in the industry.

·      Karni Arieli – Filmmaker / Photographer
Artists Karni+Saul direct films and music videos and their film 'Turning' was short-listed for the best film short in the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) and shown in several festivals, including Encounters Short & Animation Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival and the LA Shorts Fest.

·      Sarah Chorley – Operations Director at Shooting People
Sarah has worked for independent production companies like Slate Films, Signal Films and Living Cinema and the London Disability Film Festival and Cambridge Film Festival.

·      Ravi Amaratunga – Media Project Manager, Creative Diversity Editor, Random Acts / Channel 4
Ravi works across short form at Channel 4 running Channel 4’s late night zone for short films ‘The Shooting Gallery, its weeknightly arts strand Random Acts and commissions short form factual for the channel.

Whether it be a comedy or a horror, made on your phone or with a professional crew, there’s no limit on what your creativity might muster and the competition is open to all genres and production techniques. For inspiration why not take a look at last year’s winner, Wake by Nick Fogg, a documentary set on one day or  The End (2002), which was completed the night before the deadline!

Of course there are some superb prizes available – there’s the chance to win a £1,500 cash prize, priceless industry exposure and mentoring opportunities that will kick start your career.

Nominated filmmakers will also be invited to the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival (18 – 23 Sept), the leading industry platform where you can meet key professionals, other filmmakers and short film fans.

For the chance to have your short judged by a panel of experts (Oscar®-winning Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and NFTS Director Nik Powell have both had their say in the past), get filming, animating or editing and send in your film now!

Last year Tim’s enchanting 90 second short The Launderette won the Shooting People DepicT! Audience Award at the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival. DepicT! is open to anyone, anywhere in the world, on any budget, and in any genre. There is only one caveat: the film must have a maximum running time of 90 seconds. That’s it – we really are looking for the shortest of the short.

Each year the shortlisted DepicT! films get priceless exposure at Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival. One of the fantastic things about Encounters are the incredible opportunities to network and speak to real industry professionals: it was this experience that proved crucial when Tim began working on his ideas for The Pitch.

The Pitch challenges up and coming filmmakers to pitch their film ideas: Tim made it to the last 10 finalists and was invited to the legendary Pinewood Studios where judges editor-at-Large of Empire Film Magazine, Nev Pierce, Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park, and screenwriter Stuart Hazeldine declared Tim the winner.

Tim will now receive mentoring from filmmaking professionals who will help develop his idea, Samson, into a 20 minute short film due to be recorded during the summer. Once filming has wrapped he will fly to Tinseltown where he’ll have a private meeting with Producer Ralph Winter (X-Men, Fantastic Four) for yet more invaluable industry tips and advice.

Tim says:

Winning an award last year at DepicT! gave me such a boost of confidence and self-belief: it certainly encouraged me to dream big and has increased my ambition to want to go on and do bigger and better films. DepicT! and Encounters in general provided such a great opportunity for me to meet other filmmakers who are at a similar stage or a few stages further on – that is invaluable when you’re looking to progress as a filmmaker.

If you want a brilliant, credible place to start your career in film, I’d wholeheartedly recommend entering a film into DepicT! – it did wonders for me, and I’m sure it’ll do wonders for you too!

You too could be jetting off to Los Angeles some day: DepicT! is open for submissions now – enter your film for free online before Mon 9 July and keep those fingers crossed!

Every year, the shortlisted DepicT! filmmakers are given the opportunity to network at the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival (18-23 Sept 2012) where they get to meet distributors, producers, funders, exhibitors, other filmmakers and, of course, enthusiastic short film fans. The role of Encounters for the development of short-film careers is paramount – “The cinematic Trojan horse returns, smuggling short film-makers into the big league, even more so now it’s a qualifying festival for the Oscars and Baftas.” (The Guardian on Encounters 2011)

DepicT! is now in its thirteenth year and we pride ourselves on the quality of our little gems. Just make sure your tiny film is hugely distinctive, imaginative and engaging. We’re always amazed by the huge amount of creativity that can be packed into such a short amount of time so whatever your background – go for it.

Previous DepicT! winners have regularly gone on to be screened at other international film festivals and been picked up by commercial distributors, and some have carved themselves successful careers in the film industry – even being recognised as Stars of Tomorrow by industry magazine Screen International. Sarah Cooper from the magazine and a member of the International DepicT! Jury in 2011 says about the festival: “With a host of talented UK and international short film-makers mingling with buyers, producers and industry bigwigs, it felt like a great place to make contacts, talk business and spot potential stars of tomorrow…”

The 2011 DepicT! winner Nick Fogg shares her take on the competition:

“It’s brilliant, and very exciting! There’s been such a positive response to the film so far. And hopefully it will now be screened in lots more places. DepicT! is a very accessible competition with a fantastic set of prizes.”

You have until Mon 9 July to upload your short film which gives you plenty of time to read the rules and also get a little inspiration by checking out our archive of over ten years of snappy shorts. If you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to drop us a line on depict@watershed.co.uk

PLUS: Our friends at Shooting People, the international networking organisation dedicated to the support and promotion of independent filmmaking, are offering every filmmaker who submits a film into DepicT! a discounted membership!

Now time to put that thinking cap on, go out and make those films!

A huge thank you to the sponsors, partners and supporters of DepicT! who enable us to run the competition, and also to all the filmmakers who submit their 90 second films without which we wouldn’t have a competition!

Keep up to date with the latest DepicT! news…
On Twitter @EncountersSFF @wshed @dshed
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Do you have a film that’s longer than 90 seconds? Filmmakers and animators from around the world are invited to submit to the 18th Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival competition between 1 March – 6 June 2012 for a chance to win a major prize or a prestigious award nomination including BAFTAs, Cartoon d’Or, European Film Awards & Oscars® for which Encounters is a qualifying festival. For more info, visit: encounters

Out of a dizzying 500 films from 30 countries, 14 tiny films were shortlisted for their distinctive, imaginative and engaging qualities.

DepicT! is a brilliant opportunity for filmmakers to challenge themselves to come up with a strong, imaginative idea to engage audiences in less than 90 seconds. It’s the original ultra-short film competition in this country offering a space for quality and ambition, giving short-listed filmmakers priceless exposure, through networking and development opportunities at Encounters, the UK’s leading short film festival.

Juror David Sproxton of Aardman Animations and Screen International’s Sarah Cooper presented the main DepicT! Award of £1,500 to Nick Fogg for her documentary film ‘Wake’ about 87-year old Lis who is still determined to live life to the full.

Winner Nick Fogg says:

It’s brilliant, and very exciting! There’s been such a positive response to the film so far. And hopefully it will now be screened in lots more places. DepicT! is a very accessible competition with a fantastic set of prizes – the prize money will be a huge help towards the budget of my next project. Thank you DepicT!

Jury member Sarah Cooper says:

After presenting the DepicT! Award, I headed to the festival’s buzzing Brazillian themed wrap party…with a host of talented filmmakers mingling with buyers, producers and industry bigwigs,Watershed felt like a great place to make contacts, talk business and spot potential stars of tomorrow – albeit in a cool informal setting. It was also a great finish to a festival which is doing an increasingly important job in providing a showcase for short films in a climate where funding for shorts is increasingly hard to come by, and traditional distribution becomes more limited.

Maddy Probst, Watershed Programme Producer, says:

With a record number of over 500 entries from 30 countries, we had a really tough time getting the shortlist down to the final fourteen. I was delighted with both the quality and range of work in this year’s shortlist and was particularly impressed with the British entries. It’s also great to see a documentary pick up the main Award, a first in DepicT!’s history.

BAFTA-winning director Patrick Collerton announced the British Special Mention Award winner Michelle Arbon for her film ‘Above as Below’. As a winner, she receives a great package of support from BAFTA, the National Film and Television School, The British Council and Shooting People. The jury also decided to give a special mention to Ben Jacobson for ‘Candy Crime’.  

Winner Michelle Arbon says:

I feel very privileged that my short film was selected. It was an honour to win and the career development opportunities accompanying this award present an incredible opportunity for me within the industry. I am very excited and feel this will help me to pursue my career goals as a writer and director.

Jury member Patrick Collerton says:

The jury thought that the winner is a beautifully timeless and timely animation that brings home the horrors of war in a poetic, cinematic and evocative way. In storytelling terms it’s that hardest of things to achieve – a simple story well told that lingers in the memory. We feel that it’s lovely to be able to give these further opportunities to someone who already has such a strong directorial vision.

Last but not least, the Shooting People DepicT! Audience Award went to Tim Bassford for ‘The Launderette’.  Tim will receive a lifetime membership to Shooting People, along with a selection of DVDs and other goodies.

Winner Tim Bassford says:

It’s an absolute honour to win the Audience prize amongst some really stiff competition. I think DepicT! is a real trail blazer in getting film makers to think hard about how to be as concise as possible in telling a story. The whole experience has certainly inspired me to increase my ambition and submit some more films next year. I’m a massive fan of Shooting People anyway so the prize will help me make future connections and raise the profile of my future projects for many productive years to come!

Our congratulations go to all three, as well as to all the DepicT! shortlisted filmmakers. We’d like to thank the jury for their work in coming to decisions on this fine selection of films. The jury felt that the films were ‘all worthy to be shortlisted’ which resulted in a very lively discussion. The jury were: David Sproxton, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Aardman Animations, Gina Fucci, MD of Films at 59, Nik Powell, Film Producer, Director of the National Film and Television School and Deputy Chair of BAFTA Film Committee, Christine Bardsley, Head of Film for the British Council and Sarah Cooper, reporter for Screen International.

A huge thank you to the sponsors and supporters of DepicT! who enable us to run the competition, and also to all the filmmakers who submitted their 90 second films without which we wouldn’t have a competition!  If you’re thinking ahead to next year already, we anticipate DepicT! 2012 will launch earlier than usual – in January as Encounters is happening in September. If you haven’t yet had a chance to see the films yet, they are still available online at depict.org/watch-films.