Even a pandemic can’t stop art. Director Roger Corman has issued a challenge on Instagram to filmmakers who are practicing social distancing. The first (and hopefully last) “Corman Quarantine Film Festival.” No fancy sets, no big budgets – a totally grassroots affair. The rules are that the filmmakers must stay within the confines of their house or backyard, the film must be 2 minutes or under, and must be filmed on a cell phone.

Many film festivals like SXSW and Cannes have been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, but thanks to modern technology, the world of cinema is still alive and well. This venture by Corman proves it. To get the ball rolling, Corman has already tagged Eli Roth, Andy Muschetti, Peter Bogdanovich, Rodman Flender, Amy H. Jones, and Lloyd Kaufman in the challenge. Not only is it a great way to keep creators busy during this time of artistic standstill, this festival levels the playing field for inexperienced or unknown filmmakers to get exposure.

This is nothing new for Corman, who has a history of helping the growth of the careers of fledgling filmmakers, like Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, and James Cameron. It’s nice to see that for Corman, nothing has changed.

 

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I’m challenging you to make a short film for the first (and hopefully last) Corman Quarantine Film Festival. Here are the rules: 1. You have to stay home and stay safe and film the video inside your house or in the backyard. 2. The short must be filmed on a cell phone. 3. It must be under 2 minutes. Tag me and the #CormanChallenge and I’ll check out your film. You have two weeks. To get things rolling, I nominate @realeliroth, @andy_muschietti, @peter_bogdanovich, @rodman_f, @lloydkaufman, and @aholdenj.

A post shared by Roger Corman (@rogercorman) on Apr 15, 2020 at 9:03am PDT