We are proud to announce the stellar jury panel of industry experts for DepicT!, Watershed’s super short filmmaking competition challenging filmmakers from across the globe to create an imaginative and original short film of 90 seconds or less.

The DepicT! competition is a unique opportunity for emerging talent to get the exposure for their film and the support they need to take their career to the next level and the shortlisted films will screen at Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival, the UK's leading short form and animation festival and annual meeting place for new, emerging and established filmmakers and industry professionals.

With this year’s DepicT! film entries numbering a record breaking 710 films from 69 different countries, the judges will have a tricky time deciding which films and filmmakers deserve a taste of DepicT! glory and this year's prizes, which include: the Main Award of £1,500, the Royal Photographic Society Cinematography Award of £1,000, the British Special Mention Award talent development package supported by BAFTA and NFTS, and the Random Acts Special Mention Award of priceless exposure via Channel 4.

The 2015 DepicT! judges who will be joining us at Encounters this year are Chris Auty (Head of Producing at the National Film and Television School), Anna Bogutskaya (Business & Marketing Manager at Shooting People), Pegah Farahmand (Editor of Random Acts at Channel 4), Philip Ilson (Director of the London Short Film Festival), Jennifer Majka (BAFTA-winning short film writer) and David Sproxton (Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Aardman Animations). We’ll be announcing one more jury member in the coming weeks, so watch this space.

The jury panel aren't the only ones who get to have their say though. We’ll be announcing this year's DepicT! shortlist on Tue 1 Sept and that’s when the judging for the Shooting People Audience Award is handed over to YOU, as you vote and comment on your favourite films. Make sure you head to depict.org and have your say…

It’s also not too late to get tickets to the Encounters festival which celebrates all things short film over six jam packed days of film fun. It’s the perfect place to get inspired by the newest shorts on the big screen, to brush up your skills with events, workshops and masterclasses tailored for varying abilities and disciplines, and to chat and party the nights away with creatives and industry professionals. The DepicT! super shorts will get their big screen premiere at the festival and we'd love to see you there.

Head to the DepicT! Facebook page for short film news, opportunities and competition updates. Be sure to tune in on Tuesdays throughout August for some top filmmaking tips from none other than some of our expert DepicT! judges…

Here's more info on the 2015 DepicT! Jury:

Chris Auty - Head of Producing, National Film and Television School

Former film critic Chris Auty has produced films including Stealing Beauty, My Summer of Love, In This World and 24 Hour Party People and is currently Head of Producing at NFTS. He sits on the governing board of the European Film Academy and has just launched a new course, CBEE (Creative Business for Entrepreneurs and Executives), backed by the NFTS, Ingenious Media, and Sir Richard Branson.

Anna Bogutskaya, Business & Marketing Manager at Shooting People

More than a bit film obsessed, Anna hails from Spain and has worked across many corners of the film industry including magazines, online platforms, production companies and festivals. After working on several feature films at production house El Deseo and the festivals team at the BFI, she is currently running Business and Marketing at Shooting People, the UK's leading independent filmmaker's network.

Pegah Farahmand, Editor of Random Acts at Channel 4

Pegah works at Channel 4 as Editor of its short form arts strand, Random Acts. Previously, she worked for Vice Media where she spent 10 years producing and directing documentaries with talent such as Spike Jonze, Jonathan Glazer, and Sally Potter, as well overseeing the content from Vice’s many brand partnerships including Intel, Google, Ford and Nike.

Philip Ilson, Director of the London Short Film Festival

Philip Ilson is the Director of the London Short Film Festival, which he co-founded in 2004. He is also the short film programmer for the BFI London Film Festival, and has worked as a freelance programmer, including at the East End Film Festival, Cork Film Festival, and the Branchage Festival in Jersey, Latitude music festival, and at Curzon Soho Cinema.

Jennifer Majka - BAFTA-winning short film writer

Jennifer was awarded the prestigious Leverhulme Scholarship to study screenwriting at the National Film and Television School and graduated in 2014. She was nominated for an Oscar and won a BAFTA for Best Short Animation ‘The Bigger Picture’ in 2015. She has a number of TV and film projects in development, with a feature film, ‘Beautiful Devils’ starring Iain Glen and Osy Ikhile, currently in post-production for Ascension Pictures/Carnaby Films.

David Sproxton – Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Aardman Animations

David is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Aardman. Together with co-founder Peter Lord, he has overseen the development of the company from a two-man partnership to one of the pre-eminent animation houses in the industry.

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