GONG SHORTS #3 WINNERS!

For Immediate Release                                                                 

                                                           

NESA Student Wins the 3^rd Annual Gong Shorts Film Competition

San Antonio, Texas (September 17, 2012) – Although per usual, the Gong Shorts on Wednesday, September 12^th at the Alamo Drafthouse, started out with a few bangs, by the end of the evening several San Antonio filmmakers had succeeded in pleasing the audience. NESA (North East School of the Arts at Lee High School) junior student, Isabella Cabello, won the $100 Grand Prize for her black and white silent film, 120 LBS. “This was the first movie I ever made,” said Cabello, proudly. “I feel like I’m dreaming, to be honest. I enjoyed this environment a lot.”

What started out as simply a class assignment resulted in one of Cabello’s first inspiring moments as a young filmmaker. Although her film started out with some technical difficulties, that too was part of the experience for Isabella, who said, “I learned to not give up on myself.”

Host Jade Esteban Estrada asked Cabello about the message of her poignant film. “There’s a lot of problems with the kids I go to school with. There’s a lot of self-hatred. I know people who have problems with eating disorders and depression, and it’s something they need help with, and that’s the message of my film – to seek help,” answered Cabello.

 

Runner-ups, Jose Couvillier (for The Walk) and Eddie Felan (for Deception of Death), who gave Cabello a run for her money, walked away with tickets to the San Antonio Comedy Clubs. Couvillier is also a NESA student.

“This was the best Gong Shorts yet. We’re evolving into a competition that’s not only fun but a great resource for young and experimental filmmakers. It’s exciting to see,” said Gong Shorts producer, Kimberly Suta, who anticipates the next Gong Shorts will take place next September. “An annual event seems to work best for now. It gives filmmakers a chance to make some new films,” explains Suta. 10% of the evening’s profits will be go to support the Josiah Youth Media Festival, an annual film competition hosted by Urban 15.

For more information, email:  niffnotproductions@gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/GongShorts. 

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GONG SHORT #3 - CALL FOR ENTRIES

NiffNot Poductions along with the Alamo Drafthouse will be hosting the third Gong Shorts – an interactive (audience-voted) short films competition – at the Park North location on Wed., September 12, 2012 at 7:00 pm. Local comedian, Jade Esteban Estrada, will emcee this fun event. We are currently accepting up to (and ONLY) 20 submissions on a first come, first serve basis. Audience favorite wins $100!!!
How it works: Filmmakers may submit any film 3-15 minutes long on a playable dvd or blu-ray (one film per person). All films are played in the order they are received. Every film is guaranteed to play for 3 minutes, but after that the audience can call for the dreaded “gong” if they’re displeased. If the gong is struck, our intrepid host stops the film and the next movie begins. But don’t despair … if a film is gonged, filmmakers can re-work it and bring it back to see if the changes they’ve made have pleased the audience. This is a great way for filmmakers to try out new ideas, see their film on the big screen and observe how an actual audience responds.

Only the first 20 films will be screened. We will stop taking submissions either once we've received our quota or immediately before the show begins, so get films in early! No pornographic entries please, but since there’s no telling what each month's "film content" rating will be, attendees should be advised that some material may not be suitable for all audiences.

Theatre tickets are nine dollars; however there is no submission fee to enter the competition. Filmmakers must be in attendance to win the Grand Prize of $100. Filmmakers must label their DVD’s with the name of the film, the run time, their name, phone number and email.

Entries can be Submitted to:

Attn: Kimberly Suta
NiffNot Productions
7246 Sunlit Trail Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78244

The Alamo Drafthouse Park North is located at: 618 NW Loop 410. San Antonio, TX 78216. For more information email: niffnotproductions@gmail.com or find “The Gong Shorts” on Facebook.