Open Mic Short Night May 2024 @ the SMC Theater (Theme: Obstructions)

Part of our OPEN MIC SHORT NIGHT series! Wednesday, May 29, 2024

LOCATION: The Secret Movie Club Theater, 1917 Bay Street, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90021

*Please note entrance/parking is actually in the back of the 1917 Bay St building. Our entrance is NOT on Bay Street. You access our entrance from Wilson Street by turning into the street art alleyway/corridor in the back of the building. Look for our signs which are always posted on Wilson and in the corridor to guide the audience.

7:30pm OPEN MIC SHORT NIGHT MAY 2024 - OPTIONAL COMPETITION THEME: Obstructions (35mm, 16mm, & digital shorts)

A UDIENCE: Everyone is invited! The filmmakers and folks who just love to come and watch movies and shorts.

D EADLINE FOR NON-COMPETITION SUBMISSIONS: The 15th of the month.

DEADLINE FOR COMPETITION SUBMISSIONS: The Wednesday before the event by 5pm PST

*OPTIONAL MAY 2024 COMPETITION THEME: Obstructions (*This is a special competition where Secret Movie Club will give you an obstruction and you have to make a movie based on that obstruction. For example, "You must make a movie where all shots are either extreme close ups or extreme wide shots" or "You must make a movie on a topic you knew nothing about before accepting your obstruction" etc. If you'd like to participate in this competition, write us at: [email protected] asap to get your obstruction.

ACCEPTED MOVIEMAKERS GET 2 COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS TO THE SCREENING. All other guests need to purchase tickets. THERE IS NO SUBMISSION FEE. Read on.

F irst off, all shorts are invited! Did you make a short twenty years ago totally not on our competition theme you'd like to submit? Submit it! The main purpose of open mic short night is to celebrate the WIDE RANGE of moviemaking and the moviemaking community. We screen a program of approximately 90-120mns of short movies with introductions by the moviemakers themselves. Then we keep the theater open after the end of the screening so that moviemakers and audience can meet, mingle, form community. Maybe even make relationships for their next project!

W e only have two rules for short submission:

1 )Your short must be 10mns or fewer (no exceptions-this helps insure more moviemakers can get a spot)

2 )Your short must NOT be intentionally hateful to any group of people (ie-propaganda with no clear artistic merit)

O ther than that, we accept ALL kinds of shorts. From G rated to NC-17, all genres, from experimental to mainstream, animated, live action, whatever! We want to celebrate the wide spectrum of moviemaking made with sincere artistic endeavor.

The optional competition theme is for folks who decide to make a short on the theme (be as creative and tangential as you want, we're not sticklers) between the date of this announcement (late February 2024) and when their short screens.

As long as you make a film on the theme (interpreted however you like), you're in the competition! One winner will be picked to be interviewed and have their short blasted across our social media audience of approximately 120K+ (as of February 2024) with social media handles so our audience can learn more about you as a moviemaker . The winner also gets two complimentary passes for two months of Secret Movie Club events after their win.

NON-COMPETITION (SHORTS MADE BEFORE YOU READ THIS): Submit any project that fits the above rules, made at any time!

COMPETITION (A SHORT MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR TONIGHT): If you take up the challenge and make a short film on our theme of the month, you can submit it and have the chance to win! Remember, if you decide to compete in our theme competition, the short must be made between our announcement of the theme and the deadline. It must be under 10mns long and it must follow the guidelines above.

So if you’re ready to create and celebrate cinema, SUBMIT YOUR SHORT by the deadline(s) to: [email protected] WITH THE SUBJECT LINE "Open Mic Short Night - [Month, Year]- [Your Short's Title]". Example: "Open Mic Short Night - October 2024 - Boo!]

We’ll email all filmmakers to confirm their acceptance and make sure we have the proper materials to screen.

Once we’ve reached roughly 90-120 minutes of programming we may either add a day or ask to move additional shorts to the following month.

Let’s do this!

Best always,

Craig Hammill

Secret Movie Club Founder.Programmer

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

REFUNDS:

We can offer refunds up to 24 hours before showtime. Please request a refund through Eventbrite and we will process ASAP. After that, no refunds. Sorry.

However if something last minute comes up and you can’t make the screening, for whatever reason, just write to us before showtime: [email protected] and we’ll offer you complimentary tickets to a future screening, good for 90 days. (Disclaimer: Future screening must have available tickets, cannot be a fundraiser, and must be comparably priced)

HELPFUL SECRET MOVIE CLUB (1917 Bay Street, 2nd Floor, LA, CA 90021) THEATER PARKING TIPS:

We recommend that you park just outside our theater. Remember our theater is actually in a beautiful street art alleyway in the back of the 1917 Bay Street building. You get to our entrance by taking a right on Wilson, then a right behind the building. We are the first set of black steps on the right after the big gate.

There is also a parking lot at the corner of Mateo and Violet Street, just 2 blocks from our theater, which costs $7 per car.

HOW CAN WE STAY ON TOP OF NEWLY ANNOUNCED 35MM SCREENINGS, EVENTS, ETC?

You can follow us on Instagram/Twitter: @secretmovieclub or Facebook: @secretmovieclub35mm

You can also subscribe to our weekly email newsletter at secretmovieclub.com or by writing to us at [email protected] and using the header “SUBSCRIBE ME TO NEWSLETTER”.

HOW CAN I CONTACT YOU IF I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS:

You can always email us at [email protected] with any other questions, concerns, thoughts, recommendations.

Host or Publisher Secret Movie Club