Last year, 86 teams competed in the first annual Louisiana Film Prize, and one lucky team walked away with $50,000. Now, the 2013 iteration of the LAFP has just kicked off, and once again they're offering a cool $50,000 for the best short film shot in the northwestern section of the Bayou State, as well as $500 prizes for each of the 20 finalists. Here's the details on the competition's rules and how to enter:
The Louisiana Film Prize is a short film competition where filmmakers from all over the country come to Northwest Louisiana to make their films during the filming window, complete them, and return after post-production to participate in a winner-takes-all battle for votes and recognition during the festival weekend.
Once you’ve made your film and submitted a rough cut for consideration by midnight (the night of Tuesday, June 11th, 2013), you will have just a few short months to complete post-production. If your film is selected as one of twenty battle films, you will receive an award of $500 and be invited to return to Shreveport, LA to attend Louisiana Film Prize Weekend where your primary job will be to convince an adoring public and a jury of creative experts that your film is worthy of the grand prize. When the votes are tallied and a final decision is made, one filmmaker will walk away with a check for $50,000.
Competition Rules:
- You may register your film idea and pay the $50 submission fee any time during the shooting window, January 9th 2013 - June 11th 2013. One film submission per director.
- Before you shoot your film, you must check-in at an official LAFP "Check In" station.
- All production must be shot in the Shreveport-Bossier area (including Caddo, Bossier, Webster, DeSoto, Bienville, Claiborne and/or Red River Parishes, La.) and you must be able to prove production was shot in the area.
- All post-production, music and effects may be executed elsewhere.
- Principal photography must stop by the day of the rough cut deadline: Tuesday July 9th, 2013.
- All qualified entries must be independently produced and financed.
- You must have the rights to all materials appearing in your film, visual or auditory.
- Total run time of your film should no less than 5 minutes and no more than 15 minutes, including titles and credits.
- Only live-action narrative films of any genre are eligible. Documentary and animated films will not be accepted.
- Films should be submitted on DVD-Video disc (preferably DVD-R).
- Final films must be turned in by Friday, September 13, 2013, and should be submitted in QuickTime Apple ProRes 422 (Standard ProRes, not HQ or Proxy) in their native resolution (up to 2k) on a data disc.
The LAFP website also has further info on putting together proof of having shot in northwest Louisiana, as well as information regarding permits and production resources, hotels, lodging, local restaurants and watering holes.
For some readers, this competition might be in your proverbial backyard, and for others it might be more of a journey. For those in the latter category -- instead of thinking of this as an obstacle -- think of it as a challenge to streamline your production process and make a film in unfamiliar territory. At best, you could win one of the cash prizes, and at worst you take a working vacation and make a short film. Either way, you're bound to get something good out of it. Good luck!
Link: Louisiana Film Prize
[via Filmmaker Magazine]
Richard Gere and Uma Thurman in 'Oh, Canada' via Kino Lorber 
Uma Thurman in 'Oh, Canada'via Kino Lorber 
