Memphis Film Prize, a short film competition based out of Memphis, TN, is announcing changes to its rules for the 2021 competition to accommodate for the cancellation of the 2020 contest and to allow filmmakers across the state of Tennessee to participate.
In 2020, Memphis Film Prize halted the competition as the pandemic spread across the country and promised that films made in 2020 would be eligible for the 2021 competition. In order to ensure all filmmakers who had planned on competing or who found other ways to create their projects last year, the eligible production window will consist of any short film production from November 1, 2019 until June 22, 2021 so long as they are otherwise eligible.
The core rules for the competition remain the same: Short films must be between 5 and 15 minutes in length and filmmakers must be able to produce evidence that they filmed within the eligible time period and in accordance with the rules found at memphisfilmprize.com/rules. Filmmakers who had previously registered for the 2020 competition are eligible to receive a grandfathered registration for the 2021 competition. Please contact David Merrill (david@prize.foundation) to have your registration reactivated.
Additionally, Memphis Film Prize is implementing an expansion of eligibility geographically through the “Film-in-Place” program. In the past, all film production must have taken place in Shelby County in order to be eligible for the Memphis Film Prize. But, in an effort to encourage filmmakers to keep their sets safe and healthy, we are allowing any Tennessee resident director (domiciled for no less than 6 months from the start of production) to shoot a Memphis Film Prize project anywhere within 30 miles of their city of residence so long as the production takes place in the State of Tennessee. Filmmakers traveling from outside the state to participate must still film their production in Shelby County, TN.
Though the pandemic seems to be slowing, we want to facilitate safe sets however possible. To that end, Memphis Film Prize will also be offering a free COVID-19 Best Practices workshop on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 6pm that will be streamed to the Memphis Film Prize Page on Facebook. The purpose of the workshop is to share information with filmmakers about how to keep their sets safe with advice gathered from film industry professionals operating across the country. A summary document of the best practices will be released during the event and posted to the Film Prize website. The workshop will be led by Chris Lyon, Associate Director of the Film Prize Foundation and certified Film Production COVID Compliance Officer.
Filmmakers may register their projects at any time at memphisfilmprize.com/register.
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