The competition is now closed.
Competition Trailers
The winning 6 films that will be screened at the National Media Museum on 21st October are:
The Public Life of Manick G Directed by Meghan Horvath
If social media made a noise, what would it sound like? Meghan’s instinct when creating The Public Life of Manick G. was to prioritise sound. By bringing to life the conversations and debate initiated by the film’s main character Manick, the aim was to explore the contrast between noise and meaning as well as the boundary between our personal and public personas in the online sphere.
As a filmaker, Meghan directs both fiction and documentaries. She is inspired by stories that challenge her to uncover surprising angles within familiar issues, especially when they provoke questions about identity.</>
CUMULUS Directed by Christopher Ian Smith
CUMULUS is an experimental documentary project focused on the musician Imogen Heap. Using only data and content on social media created by Imogen and her fans, CUMULUS crafts a narrative that explores Imogen’s background and personality, the unique relationship she has with her fans, and her innovative musical practice. This includes her recent development of the MI.MU musical gloves that – she sees as an extension of herself into the digital space though wearable technology.
As an early adopter of new and emerging communication channels, Imogen’s digital footprint is varied and far-reaching as her digital personality grows through the interaction of her fans. Her work and influence also continues to evolve as simulacrum in the tributes created by her fans, generating multiple versions of Imogen and her work in the digital space.
Everyone is Waiting for Something to Happen Directed by Emma Calder
Prior to being diagnosed with bowel cancer Richard Wright, an artist/animator, had a social media persona that was characterised by annoying and anarchic humour. After initially feeling unable to communicate at all, his general healing process became entwined with the resurrection of his social media presence, helped by an obsessive regime of cooking and baking.
The film uses character and abstract animation, created from collages of Richards photos and quotes posted on social media including a fifty two page blog which he wrote for a bowel cancer forum and interviews with Richard talking about his posts. The result is a humorous and visually stimulating film that explores one creative individuals strategy for coping with a life threatening illness and how he was able to share this with his social media community.
Emma has worked as an Animation Director, Artist, Graphic Designer and Lecturer. She has written, designed and illustrated books, for both adults and children. This is her second documentary film.
Peter Tatchell Directed by Peter Fraser
This film explores the public life and personal motivations of human rights activist Peter Tatchell exclusively through material gathered from his social media profiles. Peter is best known for his highly influential work with LGBT movements but has campaigned on a range of human rights and political issues since 1967 throughout a high profile and controversial career. Peter lists his key political inspirations as ‘Mahatma Gandhi, Sylvia Pankurst, Martin Luther King and, to some extent, Malcolm X and Rosa Luxembourg.’ As an outspoken and unstinting political activist Peter employs social media extensively as a platform for his views and campaigns.
Peter is a documentary filmaker who has worked on a wide range of subjects internationally. He is particularly interested in how social media mediates such a politicised personality.
The Baristacrat Directed by Gus Melton
Representation through social media has always fascinated Gus. The ever-evolving landscape of the Internet provides many tools to express ourselves. From the candid to the enigmatic, these tools can be manipulated in order to control an image. Gus wanted to explore what was possible in taking a subject that had minimal, yet ever increasing, online content and flesh out the alter ego being presented through the different modes being used.
Whether it be a pitch or a showreel, Gus is frequently tasked with carving a narrative out of very little content. Despite this, threading the minimalist elements of the blog together still came as a challenge. Keeping the pace punchy and the tone light was crucial to ensure Gus made the piece as exciting as possible whilst staying true to the aesthetics of the original blog. By mirroring the quirks of the writing with a well-weighted score, Gus tried to display the alter ego’s full character in order to round off a complete package of consolidated social media streams.
“Alice” – A Social Media Journey Directed by Louise Cooke
Is there more to a person than collected words and images? A very sociable person, Alice has used her many social media accounts as a visual scrapbook of her life – the highs and lows, the happiness and heartache. In her own words she ‘uses Facebook like a diary’.
As a filmaker, Louise is preoccupied with portraying women in a different, more real way, to how they’re normally portrayed in the media. Making this film has allowed Louise to explore themes of interest in a new format.
Alice goes on a journey of change but what role did social media play in helping Alice enable those changes? Are we how we say we are or do we say what we want to be?