Would-be directors, students or anyone with a mobile phone and a passion for film are being invited to submit short films for an international microfilm festival to be held in October when Nottingham becomes the UK’s Festival City.

The deadline for submission of short films for the second Nottingham International Microfilm Festival has been extended to Friday 15 July to give students taking exams more time to enter. The event, organised by Nottingham Screen Partnership (made up of the City Council, both Nottingham universities and related bodies), will showcase this relatively new art form and attract leading film and television professionals from Hollywood, Europe and China, where microfilms are already popular. Details of the exciting programme of speakers and festival events will be announced nearer the time.

The free festival, from Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 October, will focus, this year, on branded entertainment and include screenings, discussions, presentations, workshops and industry launches. The NSP Student Microfilm Competition for students at selected institutions in Europe, the USA and China will run alongside the festival.

Microfilms are online, promotional or short-form content, which can include creative shorts, music videos, adverts and corporate promotions. The competition categories are ‘Animation’, ‘Documentary’, ‘Fiction’ and ‘Non-fiction’. Entries should be no longer than ten minutes and can be submitted at www.nimfestival.com.

Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, said: “The first Nottingham International Microfilm Festival last year was a great success and we hope to build on that, this year, by involving even more international participants, guests and attendees. We are expecting visitors from across the globe as Nottingham really is the place to be this October.”

Carole Fleming, Chair of Nottingham Screen Partnership, said: “NIMfest is a chance for film-makers to get their work in front of industry experts from across the world. Last year, the standard of films impressed the judges in every category and interest was shown by an international media company in distributing them. It’s well worth film-makers, whether they’re students or professionals, using NIMfest to showcase their talent.”

Gianluca Sergi, Director of the University of Nottingham’s Institute for Screen Industries Research, said: “Whether intended for entertainment, commercial use or educational use, microfilms provide a unique platform for creatives to reach ever-expanding audiences both online and in traditional media. ISIR proudly supports the Nottingham International Microfilm Festival in its ambition to act as a bridge between academia and industry in the screen industries sector. We look forward to the second edition of the festival and all the great work that it will generate from students, professionals and industry experts.”

Nottingham will become the UK’s Festival City for the second time, this October, with more than 20 festivals and major events, including the Mayhem Film Festival, the Hockley Hustle and Robin Hood Week.