The life span of a film student’s brainchild usually doesn’t end during the thesis defense. After the short film receives feedback in class and becomes a ticket to graduation, the story can grace competitive film festival circuits—local or abroad. The opportunity doesn’t always arrive, though, and getting more people to witness that labor of love—and all-nighter tears—can get hella frustrating.
So, where else can your film attract more audiences (aside from your personal social media platforms)? With their new initiative, it seems that the Film Development Council of the Philippines understands the frustration.
A new platform called Academedia Online is set to offer space for student films, particularly on the FDCP channel’s streaming go-to JuanFlix. To share their “talents, creativity, and unique stories,” young filmmakers can send their creations and reach a wider audience through the accessible website. If handpicked for the first lineup, your short film will have the opportunity to be featured on JuanFlix for 15 days (Mar. 16 to 30, 2024).
The guidelines are pretty simple. If your short film was produced during your academic years, doesn’t exceed 30 minutes in running time, and is in MP4/MOV format, you can start filling out the form here and shoot your shot. No need to worry about the genre too—whether it’s a deeply personal narrative or your first brave try at experimental filmmaking, Academedia is open to showcase any.
The platform’s team will reach out to you should you make the cut.
From local faves to world cinema, JuanFlix currently houses a wide range of stories like Keith Deligero’s “Babylon,” Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s “Ang Huling Cha-Cha Ni Anita,” Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “Three Colours” trilogy, Lee Chang-dong’s “Poetry,” and even the “Heneral Tuna” series. How cool would it be to have more strangers on the internet witness your craft—and potentially rake in more valuable feedback?
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Still from “Aftersun”/MUBI’s YouTube channel