RØDE’s annual short film competition, “My RØDE Reel,” is back for its eighth year with its biggest prize yet, $250,000 (USD) in cash.
Once again, creators are invited to submit a 3-minute short film to get in the running to win the $250,000. Entries are now open and close Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Since 2014, more than 20,000 films have been submitted to RØDE from over 100 countries, with the company awarding millions of dollars in cash and gear to entrants and helping to launch numerous careers.
“We are extremely excited to be giving away this massive $250,000 cash prize to the winner of ‘My RØDE Reel’,” says RØDE CEO Damien Wilson. “It’s our mission to empower creativity in every way we can, whether that’s through giving everyone access to the technology they need to capture incredible sound to match their vision, or opportunities to take the next step in their creative journey. ‘My RØDE Reel’ is exactly that – a chance for literally any creator to win big and launch their career. If you’ve got an idea for a short film, we want to see it. Get filming!”
To enter, go to myrodereel.com to access the starter pack. Make a 3-minute short film. The brief is open – use the different categories to inspire the direction of the film. Make a 3-minute behind-the-scenes (BTS) film, which must feature a RØDE product. Upload both the short film and BTS film to YouTube, then submit them to myrodereel.com.
The winner of each “My RØDE Reel” category will win cash plus a prize pack with gear from RØDE and competition sponsors Nanlite, Zhiyun, MZed, Musicbed, Adobe, Pelican, ARRI, DZOFIlm and Insta360.
The winner of the major prize, the Judges’ Choice, will win the $250,000 plus a gear prize pack. The winners of the genre and special categories will win $10,000 plus a gear prize pack. The two runners up of each category will also win a gear prize pack.
There are also eight cash prizes to be won in the Best Chinese Film category – $20,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place, $10,000 for third place, and five $1,000 High Commended prizes. Go here for the full prize breakdown.
Judges:
Jess dela Merced is an acclaimed writer and director from San Francisco. She has made a string of successful short films, including HYPEBEASTS, which she made under Spike Lee’s mentorship, and PHONY, which was executive produced by Paul Feig and is now in development as a TV series.
Ryan Connolly is a filmmaker and internet personality best known for his educational YouTube channel Film Riot, which has gained over 1.8-million subscribers. He has also written and directed 16 short films, which have amassed over 10-million views. Currently, Ryan is working with 3Arts developing feature films.
Sunday Emerson Gullifer is an award-winning filmmaker from Sydney. Her work has screened at Telluride Film Festival, scored two Australian Directors’ Guild Award nominations, a Vimeo Staff Pick and a string of other industry accolades. In 2020, she was awarded a writing residency in Paris and development funding to write her debut feature film.
Entries are open now and close at 10 AM (AEDT/GMT+11) on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Head to myrodereel.com for more info.
