Huge thanks to all the filmmakers who have submitted their shorts into DepicT! this year. We received a staggering variety of entries from all over the globe – from Brazil and Ethiopia to Germany and Hungary – and we had a very difficult job in selecting the shortlist. In fact, this year we received a record number of entries (over 600 from more than 30 countries!), and now the 15 shortlisted films for DepicT! '12 are available for your viewing pleasure at depict.org.

The 15 tiny films that have been selected stood out for their ability to be hugely distinctive, imaginative and engaging. They are all in the running for four prestigious prizes, which will be announced during the Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival (Tue 18 - Sun 23 Sept). These include the main DepicT! Award of £1,500, the British Special Mention Award and the Shooting People Audience Award, as well as the brand new DepicT! Random Acts Award, which gives one lucky winner the chance to have their film screened on Channel Four's popular weeknight programme Random Acts.

The Shooting People Audience Award is where you come in - you can watch, vote, and comment on the shortlisted films online to help determine the winner!

The DepicT! '12 films will have their big screen premiere on Sat 22 Sept at 15:30 at the ever-popular DepicT! Showcase at Watershed, as part of Encounters. The DepicT! showcase is an opportunity to see the films in a cinema setting, meet the talent behind them and find out more about the competition. Tickets are on sale now so snap them up to see these super shorts in their full splendour!

Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival is now in its superb 18th edition. Join us over six days of action-packed programmes to discover today's best and brightest short filmmaking talent and more. For full details of all Encounters events, delegate registration and to purchase tickets online go to encounters-festival.org.uk

Don't forget – if you are a young filmmaker aged 21 or under, or part of an organisation working with under 21s, we're delighted to invite you to submit your films to Electric December, an online advent calendar showcasing shorts by new talent from all across Europe. The deadline has been extended to Fri 28 Sept so if you want to submit your short film (this time five minutes or less!) head on over to electricdecember.org now. Previous winners have received travel bursaries to attend the BUFF Young Peoples' Film Festival in Malmö, Sweden - and we have some similar treats in store for whoever wins this year - good luck!

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