The Bitfilm Festival has started its call for entries. Filmmakers may submit their digital films until November 1st, 2012 to the website http://www.bitfilm.com/
For the thirtheenth time since 2000, the Bitfilm Festival will be showcasing films that use digital technology in a creative and innovative way. All films will be screened on the Internet as well as in real-life places. The worldwide audience will decice by voting online about the winners of the Bitfilm awards.
There will be four awards in these competition categories:
3D AWARD
Computer-generated 3D animation short films
2D
Digitally made 2D animation short films
HYBRID AWARD
Digitally composed hybrid films, mixing live action and animation
MACHINIMA AWARD
Digital films shot in real-time inside computer games or virtual worlds
For the first time, Bitcoins will be used for the voting process and as prize money. Bitcoin is a digital, decentralised, peer-to-peer-based currency that works without a central bank and knows no inflation.
Each film will have its own Bitcoin account, users may express their preference by donating Bitcoins (or fractions of it) to the films of their liking. The film in each category with the most Bitcoins will win, the donated Bitcoins will be shared among the three highest ranked films.
“We are very fascinated by Bitcoin”, says Bitfilms managing director Aaron Koenig. “A digital currency that works like gold but can be transferred online is just what we need in these times of ever growing debt and a doomed Euro. We want to show that Bitcoin can do things no other payment system can do, such as providing a fair voting mechanism for an online competition and generating money for talented film makers.”
The festival’s trailer is a re-edited version of an animated short film Bitfilm has produced for Bitcoin.de, a marketplace to trade Bitcoins, which explains the new currency in a simple and humorous way: