Kotaku
Video game companies want you to make short films. First Microsoft calls for an original TV pilot. Then Midway called forth our inner Woo. Now Nintendo announces their Short Cuts Showcase, which challenges budding directors to create a short film with a Nintendo theme, with the top three entries being premiered at Rockefeller Center's annual summer film showcase.
The theme is, of course, Nintendo. Movies can be action, comedy, animated, drama, dromedary, unleaded, or strawberry, as long as they feature Nintendo hardware or characters, preferably not being stuffed into body cavities. Sorry Wii Sex guy.
The first place winner gets ten grand, a trip to New York for the premier and a lunch meeting with a Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Craig Hatkoff. The top three entries all get Nintendo goodies as well. Entries are due by June 6th, so you'd best get a move on if you are so inclined. Hit the jump for all the juicy press release details.
Nintendo Seeks Brilliant Filmmakers for 'Short Cuts Showcase'
Winner to Receive $10,000, Audience With Industry Execs and Gala Premiere at Rockefeller Center, June 19-22
REDMOND, Wash., May 15 /PRNewswire/ — Nintendo is searching for the next great director. Lead by Nintendo's flagship store, Nintendo World, the Nintendo Short Cuts Showcase invites filmmakers from all walks of life to demonstrate their passion and skills by creating a Nintendo-themed short film or video. The top three films will be chosen by a panel that includes a Tribeca senior programmer, an entertainment industry reporter and a Nintendo executive. The final films will premiere as a part of the inaugural short film showcase at the Top of the Rock(TM) Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center during Rock Center's annual summer film showcase, June 19-22.
The first-place winner will be awarded a $10,000 cash prize along with a lunch meeting with the co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, Craig Hatkoff, and a trip to New York to see the winning entry shown at the Rock Center's annual summer film showcase. In addition, the top three winners will all receive Nintendo hardware and games.
The short film submissions must be less than five minutes long and Nintendo-themed in some way. The rest is up to the imagination of the filmmakers, who can explore themes using the new Wii(TM) home video game system, the hand-held Nintendo DS(TM) or even classic Nintendo characters and systems. The entries can be comedies or dramas, live action or animated — the options for cinematic creativity are almost endless.
"Opening the Nintendo Short Cuts Showcase to the broader filmmaking public reflects our message that video games are fun for everyone," explains George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "We expect to get high-quality entries from film students, indie filmmakers and creative talents of all kinds that spark the imagination the same way our games do."
For an official entry form, a list of approved film formats and a list of the contest rules and regulations, visit nintendoshortcuts.com. Filmmakers must be 18 or older. Entries are due on or before June 6.
The Nintendo Short Cuts screening at Top of the Rock will be a special feature and an addition to the annual summer film series at Rockefeller Center, a unique outdoor event showcasing four nights of independent movies. While at the Top of the Rock, movie fans can check out a selection of cool Nintendo World merchandise. And once folks head back down to ground level, the full Nintendo World store is just a few steps away at 10 Rockefeller Plaza.
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