Days left to enter coronavirus lockdown movie competition by Northampton Film Festival organisers

Lockdown filmmakers only have a few days left to submit their entries for a new competition by the organisers of the postponed Northampton Film Festival.

Kind of a Big Deal In My Living Room submissions have included a day in the life of a dog, a psychological thriller on the streets of Northampton and a father and son playing baseball.

The deadline for entries made without breaking any coronavirus lockdown guidelines is 5pm on Friday (May 1) and the winner will receive £300.

Becky Adams, director at film festival organisers Screen Northants, said: "People are so worried about starting it and having a go but all the films we have had through are all different.

"I think this shows how in this weird time in lockdown, people are still coming up with all sorts of ideas."

Screen Northants's event, Northampton Film Festival 2020: Kind of a Big Deal, was due to take place in May but has been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.

With everyone forced to stay indoors, the team put together the Kind of a Big Deal In My Living Room contest for movies made without breaking any lockdown rules.

Becky said the entrants have varied from experienced filmmakers to amateurs and complete first-timers with a range of equipment used.

"I don't want people to be put off by thinking they can't do it or don't have the right kit as no one has it all and often you don't need the best stuff to tell a story," she said.

"If you have an idea that you find interesting then someone else probably will to, so just go for it and see what happens."

Among the entrants is Olivia Foan, who made a film all from the confines of her flat and on a walk in London, about missing her family in London.

While Becky and Pete Carrier only needed Microsoft PowerPoint and Movie Maker for their touching movie about an auto responder in a moral quandry.

And Great Houghton video production company Richer View put together clips from 40 different people around the county to show how they are getting through the lockdown.

Becky said: "For this kind of thing, we don't expect people to have worked on them for the whole time and many are doing them in a matter of days so we might have a flurry of late entries."

To enter, upload the film to the internet where they can be publicly viewed and send the link to [email protected]. For more information, visit northamptonfilmfestival.co.uk.