Today, the Poppy Jasper Film Festival announced that the deadlines are fast approaching for entries to the seventh annual Poppy Jasper Film Festival (PJFF) for short films – 30 minutes or less. The 2010 PJFF will be held November 12-14, 2010, with screenings in Morgan Hill, California. The deadline to submit entries is May 31, 2010.

This short film festival encourages emerging voices of independent filmmakers, a focus that has attracted the attention of a number of filmmaking notables: Academy Award winner John Bruno (Titanic), screenwriter Victor Miller (three-time Emmy winner for All My Children and writer of the original Friday the 13th), and producer Susan Cartsonis (the force behind the major Hollywood hits What Women Want, No Reservations, and Where the Heart Is). These and other behind-the-camera filmmakers have appeared at the festival as panelists and keynote speakers.

The 2009 PJFF saw a 40% increase in entries overall. International film entries came from more countries than ever before (Australia, UK, India, Russia, France, Canada, Germany, Philippines, Japan, China, and Taiwan), and the category of female filmmakers made up 29% of total 2009 entries. These numbers reflect the enthusiasm of filmmakers eager to see their short films selected by this festival which is one of only a few dedicated to the art of short films.

Deadlines to submit U.S. and International films for the 2010 Poppy Jasper Film Festival:

Late Deadline: May 31, 2010
Films Announced by July 31, 2010
Apply exclusively at www.withoutabox.com.

Entry forms can be completed directly online at www.withoutabox.com. Complete information and eligibility requirements are also available online at http://poppyjasperfilmfest.org/filmmakers/film-registration.html. Further information for film submission may be directed to [email protected], by telephone +1-408-782-8087, or by regular mail sent to Poppy Jasper Film Festival, P.O. Box 1028, Morgan Hill, CA 95038.

About the Poppy Jasper Film Festival
The Poppy Jasper Film Festival celebrates the short filmmaking craft and conveys its passion for filmmaking to the community, and has been acclaimed by MovieMaker Magazine as “one of the top 25” in the country for its focus on filmmaker experience. This expresses itself in the continual ways that festival organizers actively foster interaction, ideas, and ongoing contact between filmmakers at all levels of experience and invited screenwriters, directors, producers, and actors. These industry professionals include Academy and Emmy award winners and nominees, people whose extensive experience in the filmmaking industry brings audiences a close-up view of the passion motivating independent filmmaking.

The short films (30 minutes or less), which run from horror to comedy, documentary to sci-fi, musical to romance, all have one thing in common: they entertain their audiences. Additionally, this 501(c)3 nonprofit organization awards an annual scholarship to an up-and-coming student filmmaker.

Taking its name from the beautiful and rare poppy jasper gemstone found exclusively in Morgan Hill, California, the Poppy Jasper Film Festival mines the popular, fast-growing niche of short films.

The Seventh Annual Poppy Jasper Film Festival will be held November 12 -14, 2010 in Morgan Hill, California. For further information about the Poppy Jasper Film Festival, please visit www.poppyjasperfilmfest.org