The CineSpace 2016 short film contest has finally reached the Enter stage, and submissions can now be made over on the challenge page. CineSpace is a joint effort by NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS), a call to filmmakers around the world to create original works that are inspired by, and make use of, actual NASA imagery collected over the past 50 years.
NASA and the HCAS are looking for creative films that capture the spirit of space exploration, bringing to mind the excitement and opportunities that could await us. The judges want to see the same qualities that make for successful spaceflight, like innovation and attention to detail.
Films can be of any genre or style, and must be 10 minutes or less. They must be composed of at least 10% NASA video imagery, which can be found in the NASA Image Archives or other publicly available sources. Still images can be used as well. Submissions must be in high definition 1080p (1920p X 1080p).
There are three main prizes, as well as two special judging categories, for a total of $26,000 (US) in prizes:
- Grand Prize - $10,000
- Second Prize - $5,000
- Third Prize - $3,000
- Special Category: Film Best Depicting Benefits of Space to Humanity - $4,000
- Special Category: Film Best Depicting Spirit of Future Exploration of Space - $4,000
The submission deadline is July 31, 2016, and you can submit entries any time up until the end of that day. The finalists will be picked by a joint committee from NASA and the HCAS, and Academy Award-nominated director Richard Linklater will help pick the winners. All the finalists and winners will be screened at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival in November, 2016.
This is the second year of CineSpace, following a successful contest last year that attracted nearly 200 submissions from 22 countries. You can check out the winners and finalists from last year to get an idea of what was successful before, and what you might be up against this year.
There are already over a dozen competitors registered for this year's competition. Are you one of them? If not, what are you waiting for?
NASA and the HCAS want to see your creativity, brought to life with the help of beautiful videos and images of space. If you're a filmmaker (or are ready to become one!) head on over to the CineSpace 2016 Challenge page, where you can register for the contest and find more information.
