Tying in to the Department’s DIY Arts Festival, this year’s theme is ‘fluidity’. For the first time in 2024, students can submit a film, a piece of creative writing, or both!
You can interpret the theme however you choose and take any approach you like - fact or fiction, literal or abstract, it’s up to you. Tell us a story, in just sixty seconds or sixty words, that responds to or takes inspiration from this word.
The competition is open to all University of Birmingham students (undergraduate and postgraduate) and to staff and alumni. The winners will be announced at a Department of Film and Creative Writing Screening Event to be held on 22 April 2024 and prizes will be awarded across both strands.
- View the winning film from 2023, ‘La Tête Parlante’, and other entries from 2022-23 (theme: transition)
- View the winning film from 2019, ‘Synchronicity’, and other entries from the 2018-19 competition (theme: how green is your heart?)
- View the winning film from 2018, ‘The Third Law’, and other entries from the 2017-18 competition(theme: stop/start)
- View the winning film from 2017, ‘What does water mean to you?’ and other entries from the 2016-17 competition(theme: land and water)
- View the winning film from 2016, ‘One Day’ and other entries from the 2015-16 competition(theme: memory and forgetting)
The rules
Your film or piece of writing must work with the theme of ‘fluidity’.
You must have copyright control of any audio or visual material that goes into your film, and cannot replicate existing published works in your story. This means either filming it yourself or using audio-visual material to which you have copyright permission. There are many sources of copyright free images, videos, music and other audio material available online that can be used under appropriate Creative Commons licenses, or because they are already in the public domain.
Your film must not exceed one minute (60 seconds) in length – this includes any credits! Likewise, stories must not exceed 60 words.
Deadline for submissions
13:00 on Friday 5th April 2024
Submission format
Films can be submitted via a service such as WeTransfer to ftv@contacts.bham.ac.uk. Alternatively, films can be submitted as a digital file on USB/hard drive to the Film and Creative Writing departmental office (G08, 31 Pritchatts Road) to Jemma Penny or to Ella Wright in ERI 364.
Stories can be submitted as a word document attachment, emailed to ftv@contacts.bham.ac.uk
Please give your film/story a title and include this alongside your ID number (if a student) in the file name.
If you are entering in the staff or alumni category, please specify this when sending in your film/story.
By entering the competition, you consent to your film or story being shown/read aloud at the screening event and published online afterwards.
Questions
If you have any questions about format, content, copyright, or anything else related to the competition, then please email ftv@contacts.bham.ac.uk