Judged by Roman Coppola, New Competition Offers Aspiring Filmmakers of Today’s Smartphone Era a Unique Platform to Create Compelling Film Narratives, and a Breakout Opportunity to be Showcased at a Private Event Hosted by the Winery During the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
GEYSERVILLE, CA (April 4, 2017)– Francis Ford Coppola Winery, in collaboration with Coppola’s acclaimed literary magazine, Zoetrope: All-Story, announces the launch of a new short film competition and a call for submissions. The Francis Coppola Director’s Short Film Competition is fulfilling The Family Coppola brand promise to bring creativity and art into our everyday lives. From the short films submitted, competition judge Roman Coppola will select five short films for viewing at a private event during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, with a grand prize of $5,000 awarded to one final winner from among the top five.
The competition and winners are spearheaded by the Coppola team, and are not affiliated with the official selection or program of the Sundance Film Festival.
Francis Ford Coppola has always encouraged accessibility and collaboration in the creative community, especially for people interested in cinema. His son, filmmaker and entrepreneur Roman Coppola, is following in those same footsteps; Roman will lend his expert creative eye to the judging of the competition. “This is an opportunity for anyone who wants to share their creative vision through film but otherwise may have limited resources,” says Roman Coppola. “Through our competition, anyone can shoot a film on a smartphone. We’ll host a private event during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival to showcase the winning films.”
The competition will run through September 5, 2017. Aspiring creative visionaries are invited to submit an original short film 3-10 minutes in length. These short films may be shot with any handheld device, making this competition easy, convenient and accessible. There is no fee for entry. All entries are submitted through CoppolaShorts.com, an extension of Coppola’s Zoetrope.com website, the premier virtual studio and collaborative community for writers and other artists. After more than a decade of administering Zoetrope.com’s screenplay and fiction contests, the expert Zoetrope: All-Story team will facilitate the short film competition, with Roman Coppola selecting the finalists and the winner.
The competition is an extension of the winery’s concentrated effort to more seamlessly complement The Family Coppola’s critically acclaimed wine business with its award-winning film business. In January of 2017, the winery partnered with Sundance Institute during the Sundance Film Festival, and the Director’s brand of wines was showcased throughout the Festival. The signature Director’s wines pay homage to the history of California filmmaking and winemaking, two great art forms that require artistic vision and top-notch raw materials – whether it’s the land or the script. For 2018, the short film competition will be an anchor activation for the winery at the Sundance Film Festival, along with various other wine and film opportunities.
About Zoetrope: All-Story
Coppola founded Zoetrope: All-Story in 1997 to reinvigorate the American storytelling tradition, drawing his inspiration from the short story periodicals of the 1930s era that supported the careers of writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker. Under Coppola’s leadership, the magazine has become one of the world’s most celebrated literary publications, winning a number of international design commendations and many major story awards, including three National Magazine Awards for fiction, in 2001, 2012 and 2016. For more information on Zoetrope: All-Story, please visit www.all-story.com. For subscriptions: www.all-story.com/subscribe.cgi.
About The Family Coppola
The Family Coppola encompasses all of the things Francis loves most – cinema, wine, food, resorts and adventure – and embraces quality, authenticity and pleasure as a backbone to each of these vibrant business endeavors. Anchored in Sonoma County, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, known for the superior level of quality and integrity, is, as Francis puts it, “a wine wonderland, a park of pleasure where people of all ages can enjoy all the best things in life: food, wine, music, dancing, games, swimming and performances of all types. A place to celebrate the love of life.” Coppola’s second foray into Sonoma County came in 2015 with the launch of Virginia Dare Winery, American wines since 1835, ushering in a new era of elevated quality and vineyard-specific wines. The Coppola Family Hideaways are a collection of unique properties where adventure meets serenity. Drawing upon inspiration from his film career and travels around the globe to the far reaching corners of the world, Francis created each resort embracing its off-the-beaten-track location, making it an ideal destination for exploring the natural wonders of the area while relaxing in tranquil surroundings. Additionally, The Family Coppola operates a venerable film production company, American Zoetrope; the award-winning all-literary magazine, Zoetrope: All-Story; Cafe Zoetrope in San Francisco’s iconic Sentinel Building in North Beach; and Mammarella Foods, an authentic line of premium organic pastas and sauces. www.TheFamilyCoppola.com. Connect on social: Twitter and Instagram – @CoppolaWine | www.facebook.com/coppolawine
