Mobile phones go to the movies (not to Hollywood)

The first Mobile Film Festival will take place from January 3 to 15, 2006 in mobile France (as opposed to virtual, digital or real France).

Yes we now have a new dimension to live in: The mobile dimension. Just as part of our lives takes place on the digital or virtual world, we must now get ready for the transition the mobile world.

And that is exactly what the Mobile Film Festival seeks to acomplish.

Sponsored by Nokia, France 2 and France 3 (two of France's four public TV networks, financed by government subsidies and advertising) and a host of companies, the First Mobile Film Festival will have no gala, no awards ceremony, no fancy presenters and no red carpet. Winners of the four categories will receive, well, one mobile phone each.

The submissions are made via web, where they can be viewed (via web or wap) by the public and be voted for the "people's choice" award.

Compared to other film festivals, or even to website awards, this Festival looks lame and underpowered without juicy cash awards and benefits for the winners.

But you can bet that the recognition this festival will generate (and of course the commercial exploitation that Nokia and the TV channels will make of it) will definitely attract a significant number of participants, innovations and demonstrate the incipient possibilites of mobile videos.

It may even attract enough atention to trigger more aggresive responses from technology and content developers.

If it works, content and audience may even end up driving technology development and not the other way around.

This is a great example of transforming an idea or project into something cool we all want to "get jiggy wit it" without having to spend a dime for it. Come up with a good idea, proper timing, defined audience and potential market for sponsors and they will respond and support the initiative.

More info on:
http://www.mobilefilmfestival.net