Dear everyone… it’s GETTING VERY REAL! Here’s what we just received from the Oscars people…
** Reply Requested by 9/12/2008 (Tuesday) **
Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you that your Live Action Short film, Gone Fishing, has advanced to the second round of voting from which the nominees will be determined. At this time, we will need one additional film print to facilitate the remaining rounds of voting. The print is due at the Academy no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, December 29. Please confirm receipt of this e-mail and let us know if you will be able to provide the print by the deadline.
Awards Office
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
WOW! We followed up and asked how many films are on that list and they said…
WOW AGAIN!
OK so what does this really mean? In short, we have been selected from a ‘long list’ of what we estimate to be between 150 and 300 short films, all of which MUST have either won one of the hundred or so Oscars Qualifier festivals (an AA festival – which we did in Rhode Island). Or they must have screened commercially in LA for three days, which means they must have a 35mm print. So the competition will have been very high indeed.
We are now officially up against a maximum of ten films, minimum of six, for a nomination for the 2009 Academy Awards – the Oscars to you and me! We find out, with the rest of the world, on Jan 22nd at 5.30am Eastern Pacific Time. If we do get the nomination, Ivan and I will be going to the Oscars on Feb 22nd 2009, red carpet and all! HOLY TOLEDO BATMAN!
To be clear, we are NOT nominated now, but we are on a very short list for that nomination – I have heard this list referred to as ‘The Oscars Short List’ and also ‘In consideration for the nomination’. Both make me grin like a 12 year old.
So the adventure continues! And I am delighted that so many of you have chosen to stick it out with me. 18 months ago I set out on this seemingly impossible dream, and was humbled that 175 of you chose to put a small amount of cash into that dream… Then 60 or so cast and crew members tirelessly worked to bring that dream to the screen… We all gathered last January at BAFTA for the premiere, and it became clear at that point that what we had made really did connect and move audiences.
And as we continued through getting the film ‘out there’, many more of you joined by choosing to help in your own ways too, be a little assistance with marketing, posters, printing, DVD making, a chat to a personal but powerful friend who could open a door for us, or by simply contributing to the campaign by buying a DVD for someone special at Christmas…
Thankyou.
OK, so we have got this far which is amazing, but there is still a way to go to get to the summit of Mount Oscars! We are now strategising about LA based publicists, an awareness trip to LA and the likes… If you want to help now, buy a DVD or tell all your friends about it so they can buy a DVD too.
Share the loooooove!
Blimey, blimey and thrice blimey!
Onwards and upwards!
Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
mail@livingspirit.com
Unbelievable!!! When you asked me to ‘help out’ with the shoot I had no real idea you’d get this far. Sure, we all want to win an Oscar, but I’d also like to meet the Pope or go flying with Father Christmas! But stone me, you’re doing it, you’re actually doing it!!!
As I’ve said to you before, you are a one man marketing machine. But I have to say; the skill and professionalism you’ve shown in everything to do with Gone Fishing has been remarkable. The blog, the videos, the promotion etc. You deserve all the good things coming your way…
(just don’t forget your old pal Simon!!)
Keep making the myths! Long live Chris TV!!!
Simon Cox
Film Maker
http://www.simoncoxblog.com
You know Chris, it seems a very long time since we were all kids making your first films, but with all of the excitement of Gone Fishing and the Oscars it has brought back all the great memories of those summer holidays as teenagers getting stuck in to creating your masterpieces!!!!
We all really believed you would get “there” in the end as your persistance and passion were evident even then. It was just a case of when!
I am over the moon for you and your team, and feel really proud to be able to remember the beginning!
Here’s to my mate, (glass of red in hand!)
Chris xxx Well done xxx
Loads of hugs Mandy xxx