Sony is inviting entries for their 2024 Catchlight Film Festival which recognises the best short-form filmmaking shot on Sony cameras across Australia and New Zealand.
The festival, now in its fourth year, encourages filmmakers at all levels, from passionate amateurs to industry veterans.
At the recent Sony Mentor Day, Jahvis Loveday, director, actor and producer of the 2023 Fiction winner for Bangay Lore, said the Catchlight Film Festival is what a film festival should be.
“It gives you recognition, you win useful gear, get mentored by amazing industry experts and veterans, and all of this means you can significantly develop professionally. It really does help the careers of new and budding filmmakers,” he said.
Jahvis Loveday (centre) 2023 winner of the Fiction category flanked by the film’s DoP Dylan Lalor (left) and first AC Miro Salom (right).
The 2024 festival has been expanded, and in addition to the existing categories of Fiction (scripted), Non-Fiction (documentary), Student Fiction and Music Video, there is a new category, Cinematic Social, designed to recognise striking work created specifically for the small screen. Cinematic Social is for the short form evocative content that has risen to prominence on social media in recent years, most often in travel and lifestyle reels. The content does not follow a typical fiction or non-fiction story line, but a theme, idea, location, or concept.
There has also been a tweaking of the 2024 prize structure for the major categories to better suit the needs of the prize winners. Where previous prize winners would take away $10,000 worth of Sony camera gear, that value is now split into $5,000 worth of gear and a $5,000 filmmaking grant, allowing winners more flexibility to make the most of their winnings. In addition, the Student Fiction category prize has been brought in line with the other major categories, now awarding the same split of $5,000 in Sony gear and a $5,000 grant prize pack.
Film submissions close on June 24, 2024, with the awards ceremony in September 2024.