The 10 Minute Challenge: A platform for new queer film talent
This year the Queer Film Festival Utrecht organizes a second edition of ‘The 10 Minute Challenge’, a short film competition especially for starting (queer) filmmakers from Utrecht and surroundings! With this, we want to stimulate beginning filmmakers to give more representation to the queer community in the film industry.
To support you in this, we have developed a program where you can participate in interesting master classes, get to know the film world, and win fun and valuable prizes. The winning films will also be screened on the closing night of this edition of QFFU!
Questions?
Contact the 10 Minute Team at 10minute@qffu.nl.
Prizes
This year there are three categories with corresponding prizes!
- Best Film: A trophy (designed by artist Wouter van de Kuijt), and a prize amount of €1,500.
- Emerging Talent: A prize amount of €1,000, a matchmaking interview with de Klik (and an amount of €300 to spend on renting equipment).
- Audience favorite: A special screening during the award ceremony and a future event of QFFU.
More prizes will be announced later.
Participation requirements
- The film is 10 minutes long, including credits, with a 1-minute slack.
- The film contributes to a queer-inclusive film world, e.g. the creators are queer, the actors are queer or there is a queer perspective in the film.
- You are (you are) a starting filmmaker. By this, we mean someone who has made or is going to make a first (queer) film and needs a stepping stone to enter the film world. All ages are welcome to apply!
Whether you are young or old, if this contest is a motivation to make a (first) queer film, we cordially invite you to participate! The theme of QFFU 2023 is Genderation; past, present, and future of the LGBTQIA+ community. Every generation is encouraged to participate. - The film was made in 2022 or 2023, but has not been shown before.
Even if the film is already (almost) finished, it may participate. It is only essential that the film has not been shown before. - Participants from previous years may reapply, but not with previously screened films.
PS: The film contest has no specific genre or theme you need to adhere to. Still need a little more guidance and direction? QFFU’s theme this year is Genderations, queer past, present, and future.
The course of the contest
- Submit your idea/script/scenario/synopsis (this may be short yet powerful) no later than Saturday, March 31st, 2023, via the entry form on this page. After your submission, you will receive a periodic newsletter with updates on the course of the contest. Of course, you can ask questions or seek guidance from the QFFU team at any time.
- If there are too many applications, we will make a selection based on your motivation and project plan.
- After the application round there will be an introduction meeting where participants can meet each other, get to know the Queer Film Festival Utrecht better, and where we officially kick off the contest.
- There will be two master classes during the film trajectory to support the filmmakers in the making process. These master classes are optional, but will be too interesting to miss! More information about the master classes will follow.
- Your film must be submitted by noon on Monday, July 31, 2023.
- The films made will have their own premiere on September 3rd during the Queer Film Festival Utrecht.
In the week of September 4th through September 8th, the public can watch the films online and judge them for the audience award. - At the end of the festival the time has finally come: the winning films will be screened during a festive event. At the end of the evening the jury will announce the winners, so keep these dates free in your calendar!
- After the film festival, there will be a final master class that will look at (possible) further steps in the film world. A real stepping stone for beginning filmmakers!
Members of the jury
Below we would like to introduce you to the jury members!
Giani Kasanmonadi
Giani Kasanmonadi is an online and video editor at VPRO Dorst. He contributes to the talent development of new creators with the trajectory ‘VPRO Dorstlessers’, where six interdisciplinary creators get to work on new ideas. Giani also creates documentaries, video clips and social media content as a freelance videographer for names such as the OSCAM museum and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Dominique Michelle Gimberg
Dominique Michelle Gimberg (1994) is a fiction film director and editor. They graduated with honors at the Hogeschool Voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU) with their short film Vlam (Spark). Vlam was premiered at the Nederlands Film Festival and got selected for Palm Springs International Film Festival. Dominique is a passionate visual storyteller. Whether it is a narrative film, commercial, music video or a fashion film. They find it exciting to work on different types of projects and put their own twist on them. Besides telling the story their goal is to let the viewer experience the film. Their work is easily recognized by the colourful, poetic, flashy, humorous, and fragmentary worlds they create. As a millennial, who borders on the Gen Z generation, they know better than anyone what is going on in their and among their generation. As a result, they speak the internet language and trends well. This is reflected in their work. Much of their work contains elements from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.
Sandy Seifert
Sandy Seifert is a freelance programmer, writer and creative producer. She is currently a programmer for the special programs of the Netherlands Film Festival and creative producer at the Stichting Vrouwen in Beeld. She has also written essays and introductions for programs at Eye and Delft Fringe Festival and is starring in a play about abortion this year.
Apply!
Please fill in the form below to apply for the 10-minute challenge.
You can submit until March 31st, 2023!
FAQ & overige vragen
Zijn er dingen nog niet duidelijk? Kijk of je vraag beantwoord wordt bij de veelgestelde vragen (FAQ 10 minute challenge). Mocht je er dan nog niet uitkomen, neem gerust contact op met Team 10 minute via 10minute@qffu.nl!
De 10-minute challenge wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door:
