45th Parallel Film Fest is seeking submissions

Festival highlighting local film/media is accepting entries through August 15. 

Share your voice, your story, your art through the 45th Parallel Film Fest. The annual celebration of cinema that brings awareness to the importance of local and accessible media is accepting entries through August 15 for its third annual event. 

Taking into consideration the current limitations on events, etc. due to COVID-19, the festival has made a number of changes.

“This year we’ll be hosting virtual screenings in early September,” said Kirimi Flitter, programming and promotion coordinator at Capital Community Media (formerly Capital Community Television). “We don’t yet have details on what exactly that will look like, but we’ll post information to CCTV’s website and social media as the planning moves forward.” 

Currently, there are plans to hold an awards reception at Salem Cinema on October 17, but a final decision on the venue will be made September 1. If needed, the event will move to a virtual environment. 

“However it pans out, our goal will be to highlight and celebrate the award winners, and ensure that there is an interactive/audience element of some sort,” Kirimi said. 

There are also some changes to categories.

“This year we’ve added a nature/outdoors category similar to last year’s recreation category, and a ‘Salem is Awesome’ category that will highlight the Salem community,” Kirimi said. 

The Salem in Awesome category features “videos that highlight the Salem community, support local industry, or are shot entirely within the city of Salem, Oregon. Films in this category must be shot in Oregon and produced by a resident of the Salem community.”

There are eight total categories to enter. In addition to nature/outdoors and ‘Salem is Awesome,’ there is animation/stop motion, documentaries, experimental/other/music video, long narrative, short narrative and series. (Read about each category here.)

“We will also be presenting awards for Emerging Filmmaker and People’s Choice,” Kirimi added. “All entries will be considered for People’s Choice, and all entries submitted by filmmakers under age 18 will be considered for the Emerging Filmmaker award.”

Want to participate but need inspiration? 

“Work with what you’ve got. Don’t stress over not having all the latest greatest filmmaking tools at your disposal though remember that CCTV exists for a reason, and we’ve got a pretty epic equipment inventory! Some of last year’s most impressive films were shot on a smartphone with minimal equipment,” said Kirimi.

Not sure where to start? 

“Look around you, creativity is everywhere! Grab some popcorn and watch your favorite movie, taking note of the camera angles, the lighting, the sound, etc. Watch short films on YouTube to learn how to effectively tell a story. Find an object or a person or a situation that inspires you, and write a story around that.”

“Don’t let COVID-19 stop you! Maybe it’s not possible to shoot the feature-length masterpiece you’ve been working on for years, but that doesn’t mean your passion for filmmaking has to be temporarily set aside. Consider experimenting with stop motion. Get outside and shoot something in your backyard or at the park, and enter it into the nature/outdoors category. Take this opportunity to showcase the diversity of COVID-19 quarantine experiences. Tour the town and put together a highlight reel celebrating Salem and all its awesomeness. Keep your creativity alive even if it means doing something a little different.”

The fine print:

• This festival is open to all Oregon residents and nonprofit organizations that have produced non-commercial programs.
• All entries must have been produced by an Oregon resident within the last two years, but do not need to be filmed in Oregon (except for entries to the Salem is Awesome category).
• Entry period closes August 15, 2020.

Get more info at www.45thparallelfilmfest.org

Author: Carlee Wright

Carlee Wright is a community instigator with a grand love for Salem and notably fashionable shoes (Hello, John Fluevog!) who turns waste into wearable art in her "spare" time.