The Wildnights
An unmissable event for around a hundred young filmand video-makers, a kind of cinema hackathon. We record hundreds of hours of rushes on our expeditions and for our films. Most of them will never be seen by audiences. The Wildnights will be dedicated to rediscovering these images. Coming together in a single location, our young creators will get access to these rushes for two days, and must produce films in record time. They will have complete freedom. At the end of the competition, a jury of prestige names will bestow awards. A fine way to put these young talents in the spotlight.
Sharing images
Giving images a new lease of life
Rushes are the result of a film shoot or expedition, during which hundreds of hours of raw footage are shot, before being edited down to create a ninety-minute film. Unused rushes are stored away on hard drives, and never looked at again. This festival is about bringing those images back to life! Making the old unseen rushes available to inspire new ideas, new perspectives, new creations, and new talents! For the festival, two hours thirty minutes of rushes (sound and pictures) will be made available to the participants.
A sponsor for each edition
Each edition will be backed by a sponsor, who will deliver a selection of their rushes to the participants. Luc Jacquet, sponsor of the inaugural edition, will share images from the ends of the Earth: Antarctica, sea ice, emperor penguins and Weddell seals; the primary forests of the Amazon and Gabon with their ancient trees and rich, colorful animal life; French Polynesia with its atolls and coral reefs; Eastern Russia in all its vastness; the Galapagos, a veritable laboratory of biodiversity.
A 48-hour festival
A weekend of artistic creation
The challenge: participants have 48 hours to produce a film using the images captured by a film-maker, reworking them to create their own vision. Icebreaker can envision the format that this festival could take, perhaps even an “expedition” event? Imagine 48 hours in one location. Each participant has their own spot and an igloo or yurt-style tent. Each group has its own, independent space in which to live and work on their creations, taking responsibility for their camp and organization. Icebreaker is proposing more than just a festival. Being part of the Wildnights means embarking on an expedition and experiencing an adventure!
Total freedom
The teams can let their imagination run free, creating a film, drama, documentary or docu-fiction. Participants can show their mischievous side, finding ways to bend the rules of the event and make a personal film (outside help, etc.). Access to any media formats will be permitted (sound, music, etc.). Each group may bring whatever equipment they might need.
The competition for film schools
Calling on the future professionals of the audiovisual industry
Our first action is aimed at the young creators of the audiovisual sector: reaching out to the talents of tomorrow, already well versed in the use of creative tools and with a keen interest in pictures. The competition for schools is aimed at films schools in France and around the world.
How the competition works
There will be no pre-selection process. Anyone can sign up and there will be no limit on the number of teams participating. Five weeks before the 48-hour festival event, the students will be provided with rushes. Each group will have one month to come up with a film, in total freedom. The films made will then be judged for the Schools Prize and the People’s Prize, both awarded one month after the festival. Participants will also be able to sign up for the 48-hour event, provided the lead person is different.
The Schools Prize
The films created will compete for the Schools Prize, awarded by a creative and technical jury of industry professionals: a director, an equipment hire operator, a director of photography, a sound engineer, etc.
The Festival Roll of Honor
A prestige jury
The jury will be made up of five members chosen from the worlds of politics, cinema, ecology, science, literature or philosophy, and environmental awareness. At the end of the weekend, these personalities will watch the films and award the festival prize.
The Wildnights prizes
At the culmination of this creative marathon, the jury will award five prizes. Three will be presented at the end of the weekend: the Sponsor’s Special Prize, the Grand Prix du Jury, and the Jury’s Favorite. Two other prizes will be awarded one month later: the People’s Prize and the Schools Prize. The People’s Prize is launched at the end of the festival, when the films created are watched. This opens a month-long vote. The films are put online as soon as the festival’s closing ceremony is over, and the public are invited to cast their vote.
Meeting with the Public
The Wildnights, a masterclass
One month after the 48-hour festival, a masterclass will be organized with the sponsor, with an invitation to a speaker chosen by the sponsor or a debate between two film-makers. Other events could also be organized, in connection with their career or favorite issues, such as a screening followed by a debate, a photo exhibition, and so on.
The People’s Prize and the Schools Prize
The masterclass will be followed by the presentation of the People’s and Schools Prizes. It will end with a screening of all of the winning films.
Our projects for the next decade
