Oscar winner backs shorts contest

Macdonald (r) describes the scheme as "immensely democratic"

Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald has launched the fourth Nokia Shorts, an annual contest for films designed for mobiles and other portable devices.

The scheme challenges budding directors to conceive and create 'micro-movies' that are just 15 seconds in length.

Macdonald said the competition was "all about the idea and how you execute it".

The winning entries will be announced at London's Raindance Film Festival in September and at November's British Independent Film Awards.

The competition includes a separate category for films made and edited using a mobile phone handset.

The winner of that strand will receive an all expenses paid trip to the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

'Calling card'

"It's immensely democratic," said Macdonald, whose 1999 film One Day in September won an Academy Award for best documentary feature.

"It's not too intimidating, it can be used as a calling card and it's a great first step for people who want to make a full-length film.

Submitted short films can be in any format, including animation

"To make a 15-second short that's memorable and worthwhile and says something is really difficult," he continued.

"It's an intriguing challenge. As with any restriction like this, necessity is the mother of invention."

Macdonald's other films include Touching the Void, a tale of real-life mountaineering heroism named best British film at the 2004 Baftas.

He has just completed his first drama feature, an adaptation of Giles Foden's novel The Last King of Scotland starring Gillian Anderson from The X-Files.

Previous spokesmen for the competition include the British directors Mike Figgis and Shane Meadows.

The deadline for entries is 11 September 2006.