9th Filminute Festival opens with films from 18 countries

LONDON/BUCHAREST/TORONTO, September 8, 2014 – The 9th edition of Filminute, the international one-minute film festival, opens this week and showcases the world’s best 25 indie films. 18 countries ranging from Afghanistan to Colombia, and from Finland to South Africa are represented and will compete for the international jury-awarded Best Filminute. The films will also compete for the attention of film fans from more than 130 countries who will decide the People’s Choice and Top Rated awards. 

The 18 countries represented at Filminute 2014 include Afghanistan, Canada, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Iran, Israel, Finland, France (3), Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Qatar, Spain (3), UK (2), and USA (4).

The Filminute jury includes international luminaries from the world of film, the arts, and communications: award-winning Canadian documentary filmmaker, Jennifer Baichwal; FIPRESCI critic and head of the French Union of Film Critics, Isabelle Danel; popular American actress, writer and comedian, Kristen Schaal; Global Executive Creative Director at Korean-based Cheil Worldwide Inc., Wain Choi; as well as Filminute multi award-winning filmmaker Khris Burton from Martinique.

The “Best Filminute” prize and 5 Commendations will be awarded by the Filminute jury. The public at large is invited to view, share, comment upon, and rate all 25 films and is also entitled to a single vote for the film they feel deserves this award. The 9th edition of the festival will also feature the second installment of the CineCoup Prize, given by the popular Canadian film accelerator.

This year Cineuropa Shorts and Filminute have teamed up and will give you the chance to vote for the  Filminute Cineuropa Audience Award for the best European film among the Cineuropa's selection. More information will be available soon.

“This is truly a landmark collection of films for the festival,” says executive director, John Ketchum. “Not only do we have another powerful group of exceptional international stories, as well as an exciting mix of genres, we also greatly appreciate the increased attention these filmmakers have paid to detail: from gripping openings, to strong supporting performances, from exceptional sound design to high-end VFX – even the titling this year seems, as a whole, to have moved up a notch. We couldn’t be happier or more proud of how filmmakers have embraced the one-minute format.”

As a leading international online film festival, Filminute has effectively integrated Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and strongly encourages filmmakers to use any other means and social networks to further build their audiences far beyond their own national borders. Through its use of social media, Filminute has become one of the most accessible film festivals in the world.

Every year, throughout the month of September, Filminute presents an extraordinary array of 25 films online for festival-goers around the world to enjoy, share, and discuss. The Filminute winners and awards will be announced on October 9.