London is arguably the most diverse metropolis in the world, with more than 300 languages spoken and over 30% of the population born outside of the UK. A world in one city. Travelling across it, via its neighbourhoods and communities, is exciting, eye-opening, surprising, sometimes frustrating, but never staid or boring.
It does pomp and ceremony like no other - as the world will see this summer during the Jubilee celebrations and the Olympic games. These two mega events are the big, headline stories this year, but there are thousands more stories about London that won't hit the headlines, stories that are both everyday and extraordinary. The Guardian's London Lives audio slideshow series showcases some of these stories and the inspiring characters behind them, from a puppeteer who tours the Thames on a theatre barge to the young woman who organises impromptu gigs in the capital's bandstands.
Now we are inviting you to create a film about London, of no more than five minutes, on the theme of travel. You can choose to interpret the theme as directly or as indirectly as you like – in other words we mean travel in the broadest sense, whether it's vicarious or an actual physical journey – or something in between. We will be looking for films that show creative flair, that get under the skin of the capital, showing a fun, quirky or alternative side to the city and make us think about the city in a new way, surprise us or make us laugh, that captures the true spirit of the city. The Guardian Travel Film competition is part of the This London competition run by Boat Magazine (boat-mag.com) and The Smalls (thesmalls.com).
The winning film will be announced and screened at Boat Magazine's London issue launch event in May 2012, and will also be published on the Guardian's Travel website (subject to terms and conditions).
The Travel films will be judged by a panel of Guardian journalists and film makers, including: Catherine Shoard, the Guardian's film editor; Andy Pietrasik, head of Guardian Travel; Kate Tancred, managing director at The Smalls; and Michael Tait, a Guardian film editor; and Davey Spens, creative director of Boat Magazine.
As part of the prize the winner will be commissioned by Guardian Travel to produce a second film, which will also be broadcast on the Travel website. The winner of the Travel film will also be considered by Boat Mag for the overall This London prize.
To enter, and upload your film, go to thesmalls.com/thislondon.
This London
This London is a short film competition hosted by The Smalls and Boat Magazine, that seeks to discover and celebrate the most talented and innovative storytellers that work in and around London.
Boat Magazine
Boat Magazine is a nomadic biannual publication that temporarily bases itself in cities with big stories to tell. The first issue was Sarajevo. This was followed with an issue on Detroit, with contributions from Jeffrey Eugenides, Megan Abbott and David Robert Mitchell. Issue Three will be all about London.
The Smalls
The Smalls is a short film and music community with more than 5,000 registered members. As a curator of independent short film, committed to the discovery and promotion of new talent, the aim of the website and The Smalls live events, is to create a bridge between commissioners of content from TV, film and advertising, and new talent.
1. The This London/The Guardian Travel Film Competition (the "Travel Film Competition") is open to UK residents aged 18 and over ("You") subject to the terms and conditions below.
2. Employees or agencies of Guardian News & Media Limited ("GNM", "We"), The Smalls, Boat Magazine, or their group companies or family members, or anyone else connected with this Travel Film Competition may not enter this Travel Film Competition.
3. By entering this Travel Film Competition you accept these terms and conditions.
4. To enter this Travel Film Competition, you must create a short film on the theme of travel in London and upload it onto The Smalls website: thesmalls.com/thislondon.
5. If you have any questions about how to enter or in connection with this Travel Film Competition, please e-mail us at travel@guardian.co.uk with "This London/The Guardian Travel Film Competition" in the subject line.
6. Entries submitted to the Guardian Travel Film Competition must be in the following file format:
• For upload to The Smalls website please supply a Quicktime (.mov) with H.264 compression.
• Frame size: 1280x720 for 16:9, 1280x960 for 4:3 Data Rate/Bitrate: Between 3000 Kbps & 5000Kbps.
• Please note that if your film is short-listed we shall require a DVD quality file saved at 720x576 D1/DV PAL 1.4587 aspect for 16:9, 1.0940 aspect for 4:3 m2v+aac.
• Films must be no more than five minutes long.
7. You are responsible for the cost (if any) of sending your entry to us.
8. Only one entry is permitted per person.
9. Subject to paragraph 21, below, the closing date and time of this Travel Film Competition is 12pm on 30 April 2012. Entries received after this date and time will not be considered.
10. You own the copyright to your entry as its author.
11. By submitting an entry to this Travel Film Competition, You grant GNM:
a. Permission for your entry and the Second Film (as referred to in paragraph 18 below) to be made available on any page of the guardian.co.uk website and a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual licence (with a right to sub-license), to use, edit and/or modify your entry and the Second Film in any/all media for purposes connected with this Travel Film Competition and as described in these terms and conditions; and
b. The right to use your name and town or city of residence for the sole purpose of identifying You as the author of your entry and/or as a winner of this Travel Film Competition.
You also hereby waive all your moral rights in your entry and the Second Film. This moral rights waiver is necessary because, in order to use entries as described in these terms and conditions, GNM may need to modify entries, including but not limited to resizing, editing to shorten, cropping or colour adjustment as necessary. GNM will endeavour in undertaking such modifications to maintain the integrity of your entry as originally created. Notwithstanding the foregoing waiver, GNM will provide a credit for the winning video entry and the Second Film which are made available on the Guardian website.
12. Your entry and the Second Film must be your own work, must not be copied, must not contain any third-party materials, music, and/or any other content that You do not have permission to use and must not otherwise be obscene, defamatory, inappropriate or in breach of any applicable legislation or regulations.
13. You must also ensure you have the permission of anyone who appears in your entry and the Second Film. If anyone who appears in your entry and/or the Second Film is under 18, you must have the permission of that person's parent or legal guardian. You must not endanger yourself or others, or take any unnecessary risks in order to produce or make an entry to this Travel Film Competition or the Second Film. You are solely responsible for any expenses incurred in the creation and/or submission of your entry to this Travel Film Competition. If We have reason to believe your entry and/or the Second Film are not your own work or otherwise breach these terms and conditions, then We may not consider them.
Picking the winner
14. A panel of judges, including Catherine Shoard (The Guardian's film editor), Andy Pietrasik (head of Guardian Travel), Kate Tancred (managing director at The Smalls), Michael Tait (Guardian film maker and editor), and Davey Spens (creative director of Boat Magazine) will choose one (1) winning entry. Further details of the judging process and the judges are available on request to travel@guardian.co.uk.
15. When choosing the winner, the judges will be looking for the entry which (i) shows creative flair, (ii) has high production standards and (iii) shows a fun, quirky or alternative side of London.
16. Subject to paragraph 22, the winning film will be announced at Boat Magazine's London issue launch event to be held in London in May 2012 (the exact date is to be confirmed). The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
The Prize
17. Subject to paragraph 22, the winner will have his/her winning film screened at Boat Magazine's London issue launch event to be held in London on 8 May 2012. Subject to paragraph 22, the winning film will also be made available on the Guardian's Travel website.
18. As part of the prize, the winner of the Guardian Travel film competition will also have the opportunity to be commissioned by Guardian Travel to produce a second film (the "Second Film"), which subject to the Second Film being approved by GNM and deemed satisfactory by GNM in its sole discretion, will be made available on the Guardian Travel website.
19. The winning entry of this Travel Film Competition will also be automatically entered into the 'This London' online film competition promoted by The Smalls and Boat Magazine (the "Overall This London Competition"). Please note however, that the Overall This London Competition is an entirely separate competition from this Travel Film Competition and GNM is not responsible for and has no liability in relation to the Overall This London Competition. For more information and terms and conditions of the Overall This London Competition go to www.thesmalls.com/thislondon.
20. Please note that the licence You grant under paragraph 11 of these terms and conditions means that you will not be entitled to receive any royalties or any other kind of payment in the event that your entry and/or the Second Film are selected and used as described in these terms and conditions.
21. GNM reserves the right in its absolute discretion to extend the closing date for a reasonable period of time where none of the entries received prior to the closing date have satisfied the above criteria sufficiently to be used as the winning entry as described in these terms and conditions.
22. In the event that the judges decide that none of the entries satisfy the above criteria sufficiently for the entry to be used as described in these terms and conditions, the judges will nevertheless choose a winning entry based on the above criteria but the winner will instead receive an alternative prize consisting of a two-year subscription to Boat Magazine.
23. The winner will be notified by GNM by email on or before 1 May 2012. If a winner does not respond to GNM within 28 days of being notified by GNM, then the winner's prize may be forfeited and GNM shall be entitled to select another winner (and that winner will have to respond to the phone call or email from GNM within 28 days or else they may also forfeit their prize). If a winner rejects the prize, then the winner's prize will be forfeited and GNM shall be entitled but not obliged to select another winner using the same process referred to above.
24. The prize cannot be exchanged or transferred by You and cannot be redeemed by You for cash or any other prize. You must pay all other costs associated with the prize and not specifically included in the prize.
25. We retain the right to substitute the prize with another prize of similar value in the event that the original prize offered is not available.
Some other rules
26. Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted and joint submissions are not allowed.
27. We take no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt.
28. Details of the winner can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the following address: This London/The Guardian Travel Film Competition, Guardian News & Media Limited, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU.
29. No purchase is necessary.
30. The winner may be required for promotional activity.
31. The Promoter of this Travel Film Competition is Guardian News & Media Limited whose address is Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Any complaints regarding this Travel Film Competition should be sent to this address.
32. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall exclude the liability of GNM for death, personal injury, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation as a result of its negligence.
33. GNM accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by You as a result of entering this Travel Film Competition or accepting any prize. GNM further disclaims liability for any injury or damage to You or any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participation in or downloading any materials in connection with this Travel Film Competition.
34. GNM reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this Travel Film Competition with or without prior notice due to reasons outside its control (including, without limitation, in the case of anticipated, suspected or actual fraud). The decision of GNM in all matters under its control is final and binding.
35. GNM shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, inevitable accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure.
36. This Travel Film Competition will be governed by English law.
www.guardian.co.uk