The fifth annual JASNA Southwest Young Filmmakers Contest drew a stellar panel of judges, who will be scoring the 5-minute-and-under entries from amateur filmmakers around the topic of Jane Austen in early October.
Six judges, all Austen enthusiasts and well known in film and book circles, will convene to judge entries in two age-group categories. They are:
Gurinder Chadha OBE
Film director and producer Gurinder Chadha’s award-winning films include Bend It Like Beckham, Bride & Prejudice, Viceroys House, a sumptuous period drama set during the last days of British rule in India 1947, and the Bruce Springsteen-inspired Blinded by the Light. Chadha recently created Beecham House, an epic, returning drama series set in India in 1795 for ITV and Masterpiece/PBS.
Amy Heckerling
Amy Heckerling directed Fast Times at Ridgemont High, followed by Johnny Dangerously and European Vacation. Heckerling later wrote and directed Look Who’s Talking, Look Who’s Talking too, Clueless, I Could Never Be Your Woman and Vamps, and produced A Night at the Roxbury, executive produced, wrote and directed episodes of the TV series of Clueless and Fast Times, and directed episodes of The Office, Gossip Girl, The Carrie Diaries, Red Oaks, Weird City and Royalties.
Suzanne Allain
Suzanne Allain is the author of Austen-inspired historical novels set in the Regency period. She adapted one of these novels, Mr. Malcolm’s List, into a feature script that is currently in post-production. Allain also wrote the script for the 2019 short film Mr. Malcolm’s List – Overture, starring Gemma Chan and Freida Pinto.
Laura Rister
Laura Rister is an award-winning Los Angeles-based film and television producer at Untitled Entertainment. She was recently nominated for Emmy, Critic’s Choice and Independent Spirit awards for the landmark cine-memoir The Tale starring Laura Dern, distributed globally by HBO Films. She is currently in post production on Mr. Malcolm’s List, a Regency-era romantic comedy/drama in the spirit of Jane Austen, in collaboration with Bleecker Street and Universal International. She previously served as VP of production, development and casting at Miramax Films in New York and Los Angeles, working on films and TV series including Chicago, Blue Car, Finding Neverland and Project Greenlight.
Sonali Dev
USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev writes Bollywood-style love stories that explore universal issues. Her novels have been named Best Books of the Year by Library Journal, NPR, the Washington Post and Kirkus. Dev’s acclaimed Rajes series reimagines her four favorite Austen novels under one story universe of a politically ambitious Indian American family in San Francisco.
Ty Burr
Film critic for The Boston Globe since 2002, Ty Burr is also the author of the critically acclaimed books Gods Like Us: On Movie Stardom and Modern Fame (2013), The Best Old Movies for Families (2007) and the e-book The 50 Movie Starter Kit: What to Know if You Want to Know What You’re Talking About (2013). He wrote for Entertainment Weekly during the 1990s and programmed movies for HBO/Cinemax in the 1980s. A member of the National Society of Film Critics and the Boston Society of Film Critics, Burr also teaches courses in film and criticism at Boston University and Emerson College.
About the Contest
In 2017, the Jane Austen Society of America’s Southwest region launched the first contest for amateur filmmakers devoted strictly to Jane Austen and her works. The object was (and is) to encourage study of and appreciation for Austen through visual media. Entries, limited to five minutes in length, have spanned categories including documentary, animation, adaptation and satire. Initially created for high school and college students, the Young Filmmakers Contest is now open to all amateurs age 30 or under who reside in North America. Deadline for 2021 entries: October 1, 2021. Winners will receive cash prizes, one year’s JASNA membership and a special screening at JASNA’s Annual General Meeting in Chicago in October 2021.
The JASNA Southwest Region sponsors the Young Filmmakers Contest annually. For more information about the contest, please visit www.jasnasw.com/young-filmmakers-contest/. The Jane Austen Society of North America is a nonprofit organization staffed by volunteers and dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of Austen and her writing.
Media ContactCompany Name: Jane Austen Society of North America – Southwest RegionContact Person: Erika KotiteEmail: Send EmailCity: Los AngelesState: CaliforniaCountry: United StatesWebsite: www.jasnasw.com
