72hr Online Family Film Slam
SOCAPA and Catamount Arts' much-anticipated-annual Film Slam is GOING BIG to STAY SAFE!
GO BIG: Our annual Film Slam is once again going virtual, viral and global! With COVID-19 vaccines rolling out around the world, there is light at the end of this long tunnel! But nations across the globe are still urging their citizens to stay vigilant and stay safe to save lives and speed us toward the end of this health emergency. And while we are disappointed to not see our friends and teams in persons, last years showed us that out of great adversity you can still create films that thrill us; move us to tears; and get our bellies rolling in laughter! With 77 completed films and over 2000 audience favorite votes, Tap Into Film had our largest participation and audience ever! So let’s all GO BIG and SLAM the CURVE by Staying Safe. Do your part, and make some art!
Read all Event Rules
STAY SAFE: Everyone wins when we stay safe. Please follow all your local health guidelines when making your films. With two film judging brackets, COMPETITIVE and FAMILY FUN, we want everyone to tap into their inner filmmaker and make a movie while staying safe!
As always, the event is FREE to all! But please do consider a donation to Catamount Arts. Catamount has had to temporarily close their doors for the first time in their 45 year history of supporting community arts and independent film in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. With your support, Catamount Arts will be here after the crisis, doing their part for our community’s recovery. Make a Donation
TEAM REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Friday, April 16th
We encourage teams to register as soon as possible to get “early bird” notifications of Required Script Elements, the first of which will be released to registered teams on April 1.
Matt Thompson is a television producer, writer, director and occasional voice actor on many hit adult animated shows such as the three-time Emmy award winning show Archer, and Adult Swim favorites, Sealab 2021 and Frisky Dingo.
Thompson began work with his creative partner Adam Reed at Cartoon Network in the early 1990s. The pair did a variety of odd jobs before coming up with their own show, High Noon Toons. High Noon Toons was a 3-hour programming block of cartoons hosted by cowboy hand puppets Haas and Lil' Jo (a Bonanza (1959) pun). From there, Thompson and Reed became renowned for their work on a number of Adult Swim television shows, chiefly Sealab 2021 (2000) and their, follow-up Frisky Dingo (2006).
Thompson and Reed formed Floyd County Productions in 2009 to produce Reed's new project, the FX Network series, Archer. They received wide critical acclaim for the edgy spy comedy and eventually won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in 2016. Archer continues to be a critic and fan favorite in its now 10th season.
Thompson's first full-length feature film, America: The Motion Picture (2021) will premiere on Netflix soon. The film stars Channing Tatum as George Washington and is Produced by Lord and Miller, Free Association, Jittery Dog, and Floyd County Productions.
With too many credits to name, Melissa Leo's work has spanned the gamut of film and television production for over thirty years. She is well known for her Academy Award-winning performance in the 2010 film "The Fighter" and her Academy Award nomination for the film "Frozen River". Other notable Television series include "All My Children", "Homicide: Life on the Streets", "Treme", and "I'm Dieing Up Here". Notable film roles include "Prisoners", "Francine", "21 Grams", "The Equalizer", and even "True Adolescents" which was directed by last years guest judge, Craig Johnson.
Melissa began performing as a child with the Bread and Puppet Theater in Vermont and has strong ties to the southern part of the state.
To be announced.
A power acting couple - You've probably seen Zazie as Domino in DEADPOOL 2, or Joaquin Phoenix's infatuation in the JOKER, or as Van in the hit TV series ATLANTA. David has starred in numerous features and shorts including Netflix's series THE FAMILY, DEAD PIGS, and THE REVIVAL.
David Rysdahl - IMDB
Zazie Beetz - IMDB
With roles are too numerous to name, here are some hits: OUT OF SIGHT, THE LIMEY, BOOGIE NIGHTS, TRAFFIC, MAGNOLIA, and PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE. Guzman resides in VT.
See all Guzman's Credits
Co-Founder and Creative Director of Agile Lens: Immersive Design, a VR (virtual reality)/AR (augmented reality) content studio, and a graduate of St. Johnsbury Academy.
More about Alex and Agile Lens
Filmmaker and cameraman who has worked on film and television productions across the globe. Credits include Disney’s "The Crimson Wing", "Bears" and Netflix's "Our Planet." Matt lives in VT.
More about Matt
A Vermont native, Isaac Eddy joined NVU-Johnson in fall 2015 to teach acting, dramatic literature, directing and theater history courses after serving for 12 years as a member of the Blue Man Group.
More about Isaac
VT documentary filmmakers and theater director. Bess' films include ALL OF ME, COMING HOME, THE HUNGRY HEART, SHOUT IT OUT.
About Bess
Award-winning writer and director Netflix's ALEX STRANGELOVE. Other films include WILSON and THE SKELETON TWINS.
Craig Johnson Discusses His First Two Films
No matter what camera you use or your experience level, make a film that includes the list of required script elements, upload your film to YouTube, and share the link with us before the 72 hour clock runs out to be entered into the running for cash prizes and scholarships!
You’re on location, and your family’s your cast and crew! SOCAPA’s Slam the Curve Film Slam allows you to compete in a global online film competition with cash prizes. Go Big, do your part, and make some art!
Cinema around the world has adapted to making films safely. And while we're not suggesting you quarantine their crew in a hotel for nine days prior to shooting like M. Night Shyamalan... please follow all your local health guidelines when making your films. The spirit of this event is making films safely. Please do your part.
Even in isolation, filmmaking is collaborative, and there’s an entire online community eager to help! Check out all the videos at our online learning center.
Both brackets win prizes! Teams with past filmmaking experience should enroll in the Competitive bracket and those that are new to filmmaking can choose to either enroll in the Competitive or Family Fun bracket.
Family Teams led by one or more "Experienced Filmmakers" (If you’ve made films before or you’re in film school, you probably belong in this bracket)
Amateur Family Teams with no or limited filmmaking experience and/or teams led by Youth Filmmakers (14yo or younger).
Each week, we'll release a new required script element for your film to include. In the past these have included props, sound clips, lines of dialog, and genre. Follow us on Instagram and sign up early to get the latest releases and get a leg up on the competition.
Best Film
[Competitive Bracket]
$1000 Cash & $2500 Tuition Scholarship to any SOCAPA Filmmaking Intensive
[Family Fun Bracket]
$500 Cash and a $1,000 Tuition Scholarship to any SOCAPA Filmmaking Intensive
Best Acting
[Competitive Bracket]
$500 Tuition Scholarship to any SOCAPA Acting Intensive.
[Family Fun Bracket]
$250 Tuition Scholarship to any SOCAPA Acting Intensive.
All Brackets
Audience Favorite - $150 Cash Award
Participation Raffle - $50 Cash Awards (Two Drawings)
Since 1975, Catamount Arts has presented world-class performances and independent films to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Promoting arts as the heart of community, Catamount offers classes, camps, and workshops to kids and adults; performance and exhibition opportunities to local and national artists; and a regional box office for 40 Northern New England arts organizations. Catamount produces the KCP Performing Arts Series, First Night North, and the Levitt AMP St. Johnsbury Music Series, and is thrilled to partner with SOCAPA once again for the Tap Into Film 72-hr Film Slam.
"Familiar"
Team: Team Lozar!
"High Tea"
Team: The Snowy Hexad
"An Insider's View"
Team: Nunivak Farm
"Why Not Now"
Team: The Rothman Fam
"Cloning Around"
Team:
diggie smalls (the notorious D. I. G.)
"Young Responder"
Team: The Hitchcocks
"Young Responder"
Team: The Hitchcocks
"Kyle gets a girlfriend"
Team: The Rumblers
Teams must have at least one member under the age of 21.
Final films should be 1 to 3 minutes in length. All films must be produced, edited, exported and submitted during the 72-hour period. Films submitted after the deadline will not be elligable for prizes, but can be hosted on the watch page.
Final films must include: A beginning title card with: The film’s title, “Made for the Tap into Film 72 Hour Online Family Film Slam”, genre, the team name, and the names of all team members.
FILM TITLE
“Made for the Tap into Film 72 Hour Online Family Film Slam”
Genre: drama
TEAM NAME
First Last
First Last
First Last
All films must be PG. Basically: don’t produce anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother or younger siblings to see. Prohibited content includes (but may not be limited to) drug use, sex, graphic violence, and defamatory statements. Additionally, no copyrighted materials should appear within students’ films. If any of these rules are broken, the films will be disqualified at the sole discretion of the Film Slam judges. Any assigned props/locations/themes must be used in the film.
Use what you have - cellphones are great! And Keep it simple. Your story matters above all else.
TAP INTO FILM would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Please email Jody Fried at [email protected] if you would like to become a sponsor.
