Last summer, we ran a filmmaking opportunity in partnership with ARRI and AbelCine in which we asked indie filmmakers to pitch us original short film concepts about how ARRI equipment inspires them as filmmakers. We received some of our strongest pitches to date as well as some awesome Wildcard videos produced on spec. Now we’re excited to share the list of Finalists who are in the running for some great prizes including: ARRI ALEXA Mini camera package and ALURA LWZ Zoom Lens, ARRI WCU-4 Wireless Compact Unit, ARRI SkyPanel, and some good ol’ cash!
Pitch Winners
Amitabh Joshi is from Nepal (!!) and new to Tongal as of this project launch. This was simultaneously his first project submission and win! In “Searching for Harishchandra,” Amitabh conveys the story of his quest to find the first Nepali film ever made.
Madeline Berger joined Tongal in March 2017 just before project launch. Good timing! She’s a director / cinematographer based in Los Angeles. For her project, “Spectacular,” Madeline chronicles a talented female cinematographer as she uses ARRI products to create painterly and striking imagery.
Paxeros Creative is no stranger to winning Pitches on Tongal. They have been steadily producing content since 2015, ranking #54 on the all time production leaderboard! With “Cinematic Self-Portraits,” they set out to create 3 self-portraits of major industry cinematographers and cameramen/women shot on ARRI gear!
Wildcard Finalists
Caleb Van Voorhis is one of Tongal’s seasoned ideators, a former Tongie winner, and in 2017, has set his sights on climbing up the filmmaker ranks on Tongal. With “Inspire Your Imagination,” Caleb depicts people as they search for inspiration in vastly different settings.
Jackson Gary started Pitching on Tongal in 2016 and we’re pretty excited to see him jump into the Wildcard game on this one. With “100 Years a Prisoner,” Jackson takes us through his love of writing, filmmaking, and how ARRI helps make his artistic dreams come true.
Kushtrim Asllani is another new Tongaler, fresh on the scene since July! “All the Moments” is a Dr. Seuss-esque poem through the lense of beautiful ARRI footage documenting everything he loves.
Merlin Camozzi has been around since 2014 and is looking for his first video win on this project! In “Visions,” Merlin uses ARRI equipment to explore both auditory and visual poetry in a thrilling exploration of light and dark.
Sleep Ages is another Tongal production crew that has been around for a while (since 2013 to be exact). While most of their Tongal wins have been in Ideation, they’ve made a nice leap into video with “Dream All Days,” a short documentary chronicling a day in the life of a former Army-vet turned Park Ranger in the twilight of his life.
Judges!!! *
To sweeten the pot, ARRI enlisted some incredible cinematographers to judge and rank the final videos:
Tina Mabry is a writer, director, and producer with numerous credits in both television and film. She was a co-producer, writer, and director for the second season of USA’s hit drama Queen of the South. Tina was also a producer, writer, and director on the first season of OWN’s Queen Sugar created by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey. Tina produced and directed Melody 1963: Love Has to Win, an American Girl special for Amazon Kids. The special earned Tina a DGA Award and a NAACP Award. Tina’s other television directing credits include Netflix’s Dear White People, ABC’s The Mayor, HBO’s Insecure, and STARZ’s Power.
Jaron Presant has developed a close relationship with director Rian Johnson and DP Steve Yedlin, and the three have collaborated on the award-winning films Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper and the recent Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Presant's latest project is Brad Peyton’s action sci-fi adventure Rampage, starring Dwayne Johnson, set for release later this year.
Sam Levy first gained recognition as a cinematographer when he photographed Wendy and Lucy for director Kelly Reichardt. Sam went on to shoot three films for director Noah Baumbach: Frances Ha, Mistress America and While We’re Young. Sam's recent films include two projects for director Spike Jonze: Changers and Untitled Frank Ocean Project, and Lady Bird, the Golden Globe-winning film debut of director Greta Gerwig.
The judges are set to make their final decisions in late February, which will be accompanied by an event hosted by ARRI and Abel Cine in NYC! We can’t wait to share the final videos with you. Don’t forget to check out our resources page for access to discounts with AbelCine!
*View full article outlining the judges on Abel Cine
