Spike TV has teamed with fellow MTV Networks division AtomFilms and Lucasfilm Ltd. to launch the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge, a new phase of an annual contest involving short films created by devotees of the space saga. Submissions are now being accepted and winners will be announced online, on-air on Spike TV and at the massive Star Wars Celebration IV fan event taking place in Los Angeles May 24-28.
Previous fan film programs hosted by Lucasfilm and AtomFilms have produced such Internet favorites as Star Wars Gangsta Rap, Pink Five and Pitching Lucas. This year participants will have a chance to get their films broadcast as Spike TV comes aboard to provide on-air exposure for the top submissions, as judged by George Lucas, staffers at Lucasfilm and AtomFilms, and online voters. This year’s competition will also include an award category for fan fiction.
“I’m very happy we’re continuing this event, which we began in 2002, because out of the current crop of young moviemakers it’s quite possible we’ll find some of tomorrow’s best writers, producers and directors,” says Lucas.
Just as Lucas has moved away from working with film in favor of digital acquisition, the name of the contest has changed from Star Wars Fan Film Awards to reflect the fact that most submissions are shot, edited and even submitted digitally. “There really isn’t any ‘film’ being reviewed anymore,’ explains Steve Sansweet, director of fan relations for Lucasfilm Ltd. ‘[Like] the Star Wars movies themselves, our annual competition has proudly entered the digital age.”
Lucasfilm’s Star Wars Celebration IV convention will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of Star Wars. Challenge award recipients will be announced and screened during the five-day geek-a-polooza. Highlights of the event, including the best fan flicks, will be broadcast on Spike TV.
More information on the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge can be found at http://starwars.atomfilms.com, the official website for contest. Fan movies will also be available for viewing at the official Star Wars site, http://starwars.com, beginning later this spring.
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