For 20 years now, VAFF has had a special sub-division of its festival called MAMM, or Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon. But it’s not just your average festival showcasing short films or features, it’s also a competition. Between the months of May and August, a majority of filmmaking teams pitch their submissions and the best teams are selected by the MAMM team to become the finalists. Upon selection the teams get to be part of a prograom caled MAMMentorship which leads them through workshops and a 1-on-1 mentorship. I myself have never gone through any of those, but I have friends in the industry who have. It certainly was an experience like no other. Except maybe like Crazy8s. But that’s another article for another time. We’ve got to continue on with MAMM because it’s not just workshops and mentorships when your pitch is selected. You get to make a film as well, either in a category of 10 minutes or 1 minute. But the kicker is you get only 10 days to complete it. A sight upgrade compared to that other competition I mentioned, but still. Pretty tight timeframe for a film. There have been some pretty interesting awards at the past MAMM events, but this year for the 20th anniversary, awards are even bigger in value! If you think everything is going to be in a range of 20 to 20,000, you’re a bit off. Because this year’s winnings are going to be cash awards over $10,000 (hey, they might end up being $20,000, you never know) and $50,000 in-kind awards. Another interesting award that just got included as of this year is the Innovation in Storytelling Award which was founded by Leon Ng who has been a benefactor of VAFF since it began. The award is $1000 and presented to new and upcoming filmmakers who make content like no others. Given how everything is fresh, new and creative compared to most content, it must be a difficult process in choosing the right one. What else is new? Lots
More new stuff to expect at this year’s MAMM includes a freshly added category of Vertical Series. There’s a lot of mixed opinions out there with verticals, like pay not being enough, AI used to alter actor’s voices, scripts being changed around. And to think my biggest gripe with verticals is the craft service provided by PandaPix. At least it’s not Kirkland brand food because that stuff makes me sick to my stomach. Anyways, 3 teams selected for the MAMM vertical series get to make a string of micro-episodes for a runtime lasting 8 minutes. I wonder if any of them will have billionaire CEO’s and/or mushy-gushy love stories. Newer content also includes a submission platform via FilmFreeway, which as we all known is one of the most commonly used for submissions to film festivals.
As for more important content, like pitching and the special creative element that must be used, be sure to look for more details on the official site. 20 years is very important, so become a part of this important event by submitting today, or better yet be ready to buy some tickets. They’ll be a worthwhile purchase and I have a feeling the films are going to shine like beacons as they premiere making for the best event at the theatre venue on August 31st.