The Sequestered: A Micro Short Online Film Festival

I get emails every day from the actors on my mailing list.

Many of them are focused on challenges and questions – actors looking to move to the next level in their careers who want a new perspective on how to reach their goals.

I LOVE these emails because it gives me insight into how I can help actors at deeper and deeper levels.

But every once in a while I get an email focused on a creative project an actor is doing, and some of them are really awesome!

In fact, I recently received this email from an actress named Annie-Sage Whitehurst (I shortened the message a bit for length):

Hey Martin,

My name is Annie-Sage, I'm an actor in NYC and past headshot client...oh, way, way back.

I've been reading your newsletters and wanted to share my quarantine project with you and your actors, if you're interested!

In mid-March, I was one of thousands of performers in NYC who lost gig after gig to COVID-19 closures. Sequestered in my Queens apartment, I was nervous about my acting career, and my ability to keep growing as an artist. I watched my friends getting stir-crazy, especially those who are "high risk" for COVID-19, and I wanted to find a way everyone could keep creating and growing, no matter their health or mobility restrictions. 

I started The Sequestered: A Micro Short Online Film Festival with a few parameters: Submissions must be 1-5 minutes long, be created in quarantine in a week, and be shot on a phone. No experience or fee needed - accessibility was key.

Within seven days, we had our very first screening with 10 original short films.  Thirteen weeks later, the festival has produced over 120 short films from all over the world, from amateur and professional filmmakers, and new and returning creators!

I was so floored by this idea and creative project that I just HAD to repost it and promote it for her.

So that's why it's here!

​If you're an actor or filmmaker and interested in being a part of this, take a look below at some of the benefits, and then head on over to their website to check it out :)
​

​Why You Should Check This Out:

• Try your hand behind the camera. Unless you're quarantined with a full team of filmmakers, chances are you will be in charge of writing your submission, filming, and editing it yourself - not to mention, acting in it. If you haven't felt challenged creatively so far in quarantine, this is it. Side benefit: more empathy for the crew next time you're on set. 
• Find your voice. This is a strange time, and it can help to channel your energy to something creative, if you're able. If you could write yourself any kind of character, what would it be?
  
• Get out of your actor's comfort zone. It can be frustrating to start something new, especially if you have high standards for yourself. I loved the idea of writing and filming a short piece by myself, but my ego wouldn't let me start out as a beginner. It felt like all eyes were on what I made, and of course, since I would be trying something completely new, chances are it wouldn't be that good. This festival is a place to explore your creative impulses without judgment. Literally, there's no judgment for the submissions. No prizes, no popularity contests, no losers. 
• Structure. The idea of an endless amount of free time can be a relief to some, and overwhelming to others. As actors have watched all of their bookings and commitments get postponed and eventually cancelled during the lockdown, The Sequestered's weekly deadline helps make some of this new time feel more manageable. 
• Build your reel. Who doesn't want that?
• More eyes on your Youtube/Vimeo. Since the festival is online, there's no need to collect everyone's submissions and control where they are hosted. Instead, they ask for films to be uploaded to the filmmakers' own Youtube/Vimeo account, so they get the traffic and view counts. This also means a higher chance that if a viewer likes the submission, they'll check out what else is on the channel.
• Keep track of time in quarantine. If nothing else, the weekly prompt announcement will let you know it's Saturday. You made it!

Create Your Film Now!