Spike Lee again is on the prowl for new filmmaking talent in his second year heading the jury of the Babelgum Online Film Festival.
No red carpets and no cinemas – Babelgum, an Internet company that streams videos online for free, has made the Internet its venue. Independent filmmakers upload their entries onto Babelgum’s platform, and audiences vote for their favorites.
Last year’s inaugural edition of the festival received 1,000 entries from 86 countries, according to Babelgum. More than 1.5 million viewers voted to select the final cut for the jury.
“The results from the first Babelgum Online Film Festival proved that audiences from all over the world are eager for new content, and that independent filmmakers are excited to have found a new place to showcase their work,” Lee said Tuesday, adding that the festival “has the potential to reach more audiences than any other festival in the world because of the Internet’s global reach.”
Babelgum is accepting uploads of independent short- and medium-length films through the end of the year. The winners will be announced early next year at a time and place still to be determined.
This year, the festival has reduced the number of categories from seven to four, including short films up to 20 minutes, documentary and animation.
Babelgum viewers will select the top 10 films in each category. From those, Lee will then choose a winner in each category for the Spike Lee Award, worth $28,400. A four-member jury also will choose a winner in each category, with prizes still to be determined. Another prize of $28,400 will be given to an emerging talent from any of the four categories.
Babelgum, which was started by the founder of Italy’s second-largest telecommunications company Fastweb, launched its site for the general public in 2007. Supported by advertising, Babelgum uses peer-to-peer technology and focuses on content from indep endent producers. Competitors include Joost and VeohTV.
Babelgum, which has been pushing to expand its North American presence, also announced a new venture with the Cinetic Media, an industry consulting company that concentrates on financing and sales, to show 12 festival-quality feature-length movies, one a month for a year.
A “Wicked” Welcome From The National Board of Review
Days after "Wicked" went home from the Golden Globes with a single award for box office achievement, the National Board of Review Awards held space for the smash hit musical, celebrating its cast and director in the New York group's annual gala Tuesday. The untelevised but starry NBR Awards were a chance for many of the nominees who didn't win Sunday to trot out their would-be acceptance speeches, including Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman. Accepting the award for best actress for her performance in the erotic thriller "Babygirl," Kidman celebrated by chugging a glass of milk, a nod to some of the film's kinky sex games. After finishing, Kidman triumphantly announced "Good girl!" and left the stage. It also was an opportunity for some jabs at the Globes. "Isn't this room just a little bit classier than the Beverly Hilton?" quipped presenter Christine Baranski, looking around the elegant marble-columned midtown venue, Cipriani's. Others were less impressed by the old-school New York vibe. "The bathroom attendant, that shouldn't exist anymore," Kieran Culkin said during a typically free-form acceptance speech for best supporting actor for his role in "A Real Pain." The night belonged to Jon M. Chu's "Wicked." The musical was the board's pick for best film, best director for Chu and a special award for the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The two, in back-and-forth remarks, continued their mutual praise of each other. "Also you're welcome," added Grande. "I truly think you would have murdered anyone else." "Probably true," responded Erivo. Chu, who was introduced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, used the moment to reflect on his yearslong journey with "Wicked," which will be followed by an already-shot part two due out this... Read More