DOTMOV

Filmmaking can be a tricky beast, and oftentimes can be plagued with that old adage of too little (money), too many (egos). Presented by Japanese culture mag SHIFT, DOTMOV is a digital film festival that keeps it simple and lets the magic of the medium tell the story – all in one sweet and short moment.

DOTMOV (the name is a derivative of the ‘.mov’ file extension format in which it comes in) is a festival that seeks something out of the extraordinary. Think clever special effects and computer mastery and you get the general cultural mojo.

“Each film is under 10 minutes, with an open brief of 'digital' editing, manipulation, experimenting – to create a unique art piece”, says Joanna Kawecki, SHIFT’s Melbourne rep and editor of graphic mag Ala Champfest. “Some are animations, and some are shot in one frame as simple ideas executed with extremely smart twists. Although reflecting technology, each film represents a human emotion of surprise or humour.”

For the first time ever, Melburnians will have the chance to see the finalists’ films, chosen by a panel of international creative judges from the design, advertising, art and film media industries. 2011's selection includes Tokyo graphic Designer Hideki Inaba and New York-based creative director David Linderman.

Although there are shorts from over 18 countries, there is definitely a shared style amongst the talent pool. “There is an underlying touch of Japan in each film, with nostalgia and slight poeticism,” says Kawecki. When asked that pesky question – "what’s the one to watch?" – her vote goes to Takeshi Tsunehashi’s Bug – a story about a Japanese girl and a butterfly. “The adjusted frames and editing elegantly directs the mystic in each delicate scene. A beautiful short."

Following a travelling schedule that began in November 2011, DOTMOV will do a pit stop at Melbourne’s Fed Square this Saturday night. From 6–8pm, film enthusiasts, digital fans and passerbys will have the chance to view all of the 11 finalist films that were selected from over 208 entries.

The films are accessible online, but with a sunny outlook forecasted this week, the views are looking pretty sweet from the deckchairs at Fed Square. BYO picnic basket and mates.