Deaffest

Deaffest is delighted to announce that the fourth and last member of the Judges Panel for the Film Gala Awards at Deaffest 2013 is Clive Mason!

Clive Mason has been a prominent and influential figure in the field of sign language and the media for over thirty years. His extensive experience has made him highly sought after as a Sign Language Media Consultant.

Clive rose to prominence as the longest standing presenter and reporter on the BBC’s flagship Deaf magazine program ‘See Hear’. He has worked as both a film/video director and assistant producer, translating information regarding Government initiatives and services into formats accessible to the Deaf community for the Central Office of Information.

He then went on to head up the British Sign Language/English translation production unit for the company Independent Media Support Ltd (IMS).

His outstanding contribution to the field of Deaf Media was recently recognised with a Lifetime Achievement award.

The third profile to join our Judge Panel for Deaffest 2013 is Kalen Feeney, a Deaf American with a wealth of filmmaking experience up her sleeve and we are very delighted to welcome her as one of our prestigious judges!

Kalen Feeney

Kalen earned a Masters in Screenwriting from Leeds Metropolitan University.  She was awarded a New Writers Residency through BBC Radio and Graeae Theatre and returned to England to learn how to write radio drama.  After spending time in the Writers’ Room for CSI: NY, Kalen decided to add television writing to her repertoire and enrolled in UCLA Extension’s certificate program for Writing for Television.

Since then, Kalen has written shorts and features, spec pilots, and original television pilots.  In addition, Kalen is a freelance script editor and has worked in television as a technical consultant for CSI: NY and an ASL Master for Switched at Birth.

Kalen also has a background in theatre, having trained with the American Conservatory Theatre, National Theatre of the Deaf, Deaf West Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  She has appeared on Switched at Birth and Cold Case.

This summer, Kalen plans to teach screenwriting at Camp Mark 7, a filmmaking camp for Deaf teenagers in New York.

19^TH ENCOUNTERS SHORT FILM AND ANIMATION FESTIVAL

17 – 22 SEPTEMBER 2013, BRISTOL

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival is one of the best-known international showcases and meeting points for emerging talent, and is the leading UK gateway to the world’s most prestigious short film and animation awards: the BAFTAs, Oscars®, European Film Awards and Cartoon d’Or. The festival presents a unique opportunity for industry and creatives to network and develop new collaborations. Now is your chance to get noticed on an international stage and compete for up to £12,000 in cash prizes.

Early Deadline 29 March 2013 – for works completed in 2012
Final Deadline 3 June 2013 – for works completed in 2013

Short films and animations of any genre (fiction, documentary, experimental, music video) under 30 minutes are eligible.

Online submissions are powered by reelport.com. There are discounts for multiple submissions, and if your film isn’t selected it can still be seen by delegates during the festival via our online Digital Viewing Library.

Full entry guidelines and online submission at www.encounters-festival.org.uk/submit-films