InDidaho Short Film Festival Focuses On Family Values
by Allie Martin
March 24, 2005
(AgapePress) - Christian filmmakers are being encouraged to enter a family-friendly competition celebrating the art of making film and video "shorts" as it seeks to answer the question, "Who has the next Napoleon Dynamite."InDidaho is an independent film festival meant to highlight faith-based, pro-family filmmaking. Organizers are asking entrants to submit a short film or video (of 20 minutes or less in length) on any issue or theme of their interest, but exemplifying positive, family-oriented values.
Dennis Mansfield, who is serving as a consultant for the event, says the recent success of the movie Napoleon Dynamite, which was filmed in Idaho, proves that there is a hunger for more family-friendly movies.
"We're doing the InDidaho Film Festival in the hopes that we might have some creative, pro-family, family-friendly films that would take off and make 100 million, or 80 million, or 120 million dollars while impacting the culture," Mansfield says. "Napoleon Dynamite's done that well, and we expect to find the next one."
The festival consultant says the organizers of this event "really do believe in the Barnabas factor -- that without Barnabas there would never have been a Paul, and without Paul we would not have a New Testament. We believe in being the Barnabas to the film industry, so that all those people who go to those multi-cineplex places instead of church can be impacted with the truth of the gospel."
Mansfield adds that he and the people behind the InDidaho festival agree that "all truth is God's truth, and God loves a story."
Cinematic storytellers wanting to enter the competition have until the end of this month to write, produce, edit and submit an original short movie. The first-prize winner will get to direct a music video featuring the winner of a concurrent Pacific Northwest Band Competition, backed by a professional filmmaking crew and using professional equipment. The top three filmmakers in the competition will receive additional awards.
InDidaho's deadline for entries is March 31, and the actual festival will take place April 6 and 7 at the Northgate Reel Theatres in Boise, Idaho. Contestants must submit their short film or video, along with a cover letter and a $30 entry fee payable to InDidaho, to Northgate Reel Theatres at 6950 W. State St., Boise, ID 83703; or submit their entry online at http://www.marshallpictures.com. All proceeds from the competition will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
