Sine Kabataan, the youth short film competition organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), is back for its sixth year. The competition is open to young Filipino filmmakers between the ages of 18 and 30 who have produced at least one short film. The open call for entries runs from January 13 to February 10, 2023.
The goal of Sine Kabataan is to provide a platform for young filmmakers to showcase their creativity and storytelling skills, while also encouraging them to explore and address the issues they face today. The competition will accept live action, documentary, animation, and experimental films with running times between 7 and 20 minutes.
From the pool of submissions, 20 story concepts will be shortlisted for the film lab. These filmmakers will have the opportunity to participate in exclusive film labs that cover all aspects of production, from development to post-production. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDCP will be shifting the film labs to a hybrid on-site and digital format to ensure the safety of participants while still providing them with the technical knowledge and practical skills they need.
The 20 shortlisted projects will be narrowed down to 10 finalists by a Selection Committee, who will be chosen based on a Pitch Showcase. Each finalist will receive a production grant of PHP 100,000 to produce their story concepts.
For more information on the competition and to read the full guidelines and mechanics, interested filmmakers can visit the FDCP website. Updates on Sine Kabataan can also be found on the competition’s Facebook page.
