How many of you have come across a good movie or TV show plot and said to yourself, "this is what I want to do for the rest of my life: make great content." Well TBH, many of us have been there, but have we put in the effort to chase that dream? The answer to that for most of us is a big fat 'No'!
Time and again, creative people have had to think twice before entering the filmmaking industry due to limitations like restricted finances or a lack of supporting expensive technologies. But with the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival (DUBSMARTFF), anybody who has access to a mobile phone can become a filmmaker (yep, you read that right!).
Jakob Owens/Unsplash | Many creative people are hesitant about entering filmmaking due to limited finances or lack of expensive equipment
Over the past four years, DUBSMARTFF has revolutionized the film industry by allowing the use of phone cameras to shoot top-quality films, commercials, and music videos. From being a disorganized upstart at the beginning to being one of the finest platforms to showcase natural talent, DUBSMARTFF has come a long way. And the credit for that goes to its founder Robert Fitzhugh who recently gave insights into the 2021 festival.
The future of smartphone filmmaking
Seven years ago, Fitzhugh launched the DUBSMARTFF after he came across several traditional filmmakers who couldn’t stop whining about the usage of smartphones in making films. At that time, filmmakers insisted people should use professional cameras for shooting, but Fitzhugh disagreed. Recently, when speaking about the 2021 DUBSMARTFF, he commented that film is the only art form where people are more interested in the use of equipment than the work itself. Pointing out people's biased nature, he asserted that painters aren't judged based on their paintbrush's price!
DublinSmartphoneFilmFestival/Twitter | Dublin Smartphone Film Festival founder Robert Fitzhugh believes filmmakers shouldn’t be judged according to the equipment they use
Coming back to DUBSMARTFF 2021, which took place from January 30th to February 6th on XERB.TV, Fitzhugh excitedly revealed that this year the festival's focus had shifted online in view of the pandemic, and it had garnered 200 entries from 25 countries. It included films like Anthony P James' Ghost, David Quint's Father Unknown, and several documentaries based on the lockdowns. An overwhelmed Fitzhugh said he couldn't believe the love people had showered at the festival over the past three years. He further revealed that their past sales records indicated that smartphone filmmaking had really become a big thing for people.
Moreover, the ongoing lockdowns had unveiled the creative side of people, who were pushed to tell stories using the tools that were readily available to them. Fitzhugh shared that this had increased the number and quality of submissions.
While concluding, he said that he wanted to encourage the younger generation into making films with their mobile phones. He also wanted to give them a platform to display their talent and reach greater heights.
Portuguese Gravity/Unsplash | Fitzhugh wants to give the young generation of smartphone filmmakers a platform to display their talent and reach greater heights
A peek into DUBSMARTFF 2022
As of now, the date for next year’s DUBSMARTFF hasn't been announced. However, we know that it'll take place in the month of January 2022. The submissions for the same will begin from March 2021 via FilmFreeway. So, if you're interested in filmmaking and want to explore your creative side, don't forget to check the festival’s official page. You can even find the details on FilmFreeway's website.
