Grimmfest introduce new ‘work in progress’ award for 2019
Manchester-based genre film festival GRIMMFEST is proud to announce the introduction of a brand new award category for their upcoming 11th edition in October 2019: the WORK-IN-PROGRESS AWARD.
Grimmfest launched its very first festival awards in 2018, with the jury granting a total of 12 prizes. Winners included Issa López’s TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID which scooped the BEST FEATURE FILM prize and John McPhail’s ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE which bagged BEST DIRECTOR.
Grimmfest are proud to be partnering with film producer and financier Michael Laundon again in 2019 to offer the winners of the BEST FEATURE FILM and BEST DIRECTOR categories each with £40,000 worth of post-production services to use against a future film production.
Grimmfest and Laundon have also teamed up with London-based international film sales agency Film Seekers to launch the WORK-IN-PROGRESS AWARD, which is open to genre feature films in production or post-production but not yet completed. The winning title will be awarded £20,000s worth of post-production services to support completion of the film, and will receive an offer for international sales representation by Film Seekers. The award is also supported by Screen International, who will provide a year’s subscription to Screen International magazine to the winning filmmaker. The winning title will be screened at a future edition of Grimmfest upon completion.
Awards sponsor Michael Laundon commented, “After the success of last year’s Grimmfest where there were so many fantastic films on display, I’m delighted to increase my support for 2019 and I am especially delighted to be working with the Grimmfest team to develop this new Work-in-Progress award.”
Submissions for the WORK-IN-PROGRESS award will be accepted via the festival’s FilmFreeway platform. Filmmakers will need to submit a 10-15 min proof of concept teaser from the project in order to be considered.
Grimmfest are delighted to also welcome horror movie streaming service SHUDDER, magazines FANGORIA and RUE MORGUE, and screenwriting software provider FINAL DRAFT to its list of awards sponsors for 2019.
Grimmfest will also be partnering with HORROR CHANNEL again on the presentation of the “Lifetime Achievement Award” which will honour a very special guest for their body of work within genre film. In 2018, this prestigious prize was awarded to genre actress and producer Barbara Crampton, who will be heading up the Grimmfest awards jury in 2019.
The 11th edition of Grimmfest will take place from 3rd – 6th October 2019 at the Odeon Manchester Great Northern, UK. Submissions for works in progress and completed films are now open via FilmFreeway.
About Grimmfest
Grimmfest is one of the UK’s leading genre film festivals, committed and dedicated to sharing great movies from both new and established filmmakers from the world of genre cinema. We pride ourselves on premiering the very best in new horror, cult, extreme fantasy and sci-fi movies.
The 10th edition of Grimmfest took place from 4 – 7th October 2018 at the Odeon Manchester Great Northern. Details of the 2018 award winners can be found here
2019 Awards Categories & Prizes
- 1. Best Feature. Sponsored by Michael Laundon. (Prize: £40,000s worth of post-production services)
- 2. Best Short. Sponsored by Shudder. (Prize: Film to be shown on Shudder VOD platform)
- 3. Audience Award. Sponsored by Shudder. (Prize: 1 year’s free subscription to Shudder VOD platform)
- 4. Best Director. Sponsored by Michael Laundon. (Prize: £40,000s worth of post-production services)
- 5. Best Screenplay. Sponsored by Final Draft screenwriting software. (Prize: A copy of latest Final Draft screenwriting software)
- 6. Best Score. Sponsor TBC.
- 7. Best Actor. Sponsor TBC.
- 8. Best Actress. Sponsor TBC.
- 9. Best SFX. Sponsored by Fangoria Magazine. (Prize: 1 year’s subscription to Fangoria magazine and an article on the winning film)
- 10. Best Kill. Sponsor TBC.
- 11. Best Scare. Sponsored by Rue Morgue Magazine (Prize: 1 year’s subscription to Rue Morgue & published article on the winning film)
- 12. Work in Progress. Sponsored by Michael Laundon, Film Seekers & Screen International. (Prize: £20,000s worth of post-production services, offer of international sales representation & Screen International magazine subscription)
- 13. Lifetime Achievement Award. Sponsored by the Horror Channel.
Short and feature length genre films and works in progress should be submitted via FilmFreeway. Early bird submission deadline is 22nd March 2019. Regular deadline is 28th June 2019 and late deadline is 29th July 2019. Selected films will be eligible for award consideration.
About Michael Laundon
Michael Laundon is a film producer and financier originally from the South coast of England. In 2002, he founded World of Books, which over the next 16 years would become one of the largest sellers and recyclers of books while raising millions of pounds for charity along the way. Always enjoying a passion for cinema and keen to return to the medium, Laundon used his entrepreneurial expertise to step back into the film world. He has helped to develop the feature film TELL ME WHY I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS, a coming-of-age road movie due to be shot in 2019, as well as serving as Executive Producer with his business partner Michael Bassick, on projects like Vietnam war film THE LAST FULL MEASURE and controversial courtroom drama ROE VS WADE, which are both due for release in Spring 2019.
About Film Seekers
Film Seekers is a London-based international sales agency focusing on commercially driven English language feature films with worldwide appeal. With 20+ years combined experience in the independent sector, the company seeks to offer producers support from script stage through to distribution, representing eight to ten new films a year. Recent successes include EDIE, released theatrically nationwide in the UK in May 2018, and THE WITCH IN THE WINDOW, sold on multi-territory deals worldwide.
