A couple of years ago, the YOMYOMF Network (which stands for You Offend Me, You Offend My Family) was a worthwhile destination for premium short films, web series, and music videos, many of which featured Asian-Americans in their primary creative roles. YOMYOMF’s video presence has died down since then (though the blog it was derived from lives on), but a filmmaking contest will provide a plethora of new content. It’s called the Interpretations Initiative, and it asks its participants to shoot a three-minute scene based on a set, four-line script.
Given the heavy constraints it places on dialogue, the Interpretations Initiative forces competitors to convey as much information as they can through non-verbal communication and controlled direction. The contest first launched in 2010 and received hundreds of submissions. Even with a set script, the finalists were a varied bunch. Some, such as this entry from Wong Fu Productions, tended toward romance; others, such as a skit starring Community’s Danny Pudi, favored action comedy.
“The first Interpretations Initiative was such a success that I am very excited to be launching it again with a stronger fortitude to make this an opportunity to incubate potential careers for budding filmmakers,” said YOMOMF founder Justin Lin, who is best known for directing four movies in the Fast and the Furious franchise. “Interpretations 2016 is a part of the bigger picture of YOMYOMF 2.0, where we want to establish and nurture an Asian-American creative community of content creators and enthusiasts where we can see what projects we can develop with emerging talent.”
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Submissions for the Interpretations Initiative will be accepted between March 31st and June 17th. After the public weighs a field of 15 finalists chosen by judges, three winners will be selected on October 6th. Those champions will have a chance to develop a project that will be distributed by the contest’s sponsors, Comcast and NBCUniversal. If you wish to participate, stay tuned to the YOMYOMF blog, where the contest’s four-line script will be revealed.
