Aspiring and upcoming filmmakers can learn a lot from those with more experience behind the camera. Insights from an industry expert can go a long way in shaping the skills of novice directors and helping them avoid classic mistakes as they try to get their work noticed.

The good news is you don’t have to fly to New York or L.A. to meet one of the world’s most respected independent filmmakers…

Spike Lee gave Lisa Nova an exclusive interview for Babelgum. He told Lisa (of YouTube fame) about financing his first film, filmmaking in the digital era and what it takes to become a successful director.

This is essential viewing for anyone wanting to make it as a filmmaker, be it in Tinseltown or elsewhere.

Ten clips of the interview are now available to view - naturally for free - on the brand new BOFF Highlights Channel.

So now we know who won the 2008 Babelgum Online Film Festival, let’s get to know the filmmakers. Wonder how it must feel to have your film hand-picked by Spike Lee, and get 20,000 Euros into the bargain?

Check out our bite-sized features on each of the 7 winners, on new channel “The Winners” on Babelgum, along with a video of the whole award ceremony from start to finish, with Spike Lee and presenters Kris and Kris.

And see photos of the event and party at Le Baoli in Cannes.

Last night, chairman of the jury Spike Lee announced the winners of the first Babelgum Online Film Festival at a gala ceremony in Cannes, and presented them with their well-deserved prizes. Click here to see the list of winning films.

After the exciting awards ceremony, the filmmakers (and jurors!) celebrated into the small hours at chic nightspot Le Baoli. The winners of the audience contest  - Jennifer Shorr and Jimmy Philémond-Montout - were also there to join in the celebrations.

Congratulations to all the winners! Interviews with each of them and footage from the ceremony will be coming very soon on Babelgum so watch this space.

This was the last week of the Toywatch Contest. And the winners are…:

Vince Mascoli for his comment on “A Letter to Colleen”

Stephen Judge for his comment on “Steal this Film”

Ellie Gurney for her comment on “Waiting…”

Bad_Mood for the comment on “Phantom Punch”

Amandahugandkiss for her comment on “Pre-Life/Post-Life”

Chiao98 on the comment on “What is Tragedy?”

Congratulations to all of you!

At last, the 21 nominees competing for the 7 awards of €20,000 have now been announced on the Babelgum blog - click here to see the final list of nominees!

These entries are now being viewed by Spike Lee, who will choose a winner in each category.

Well done to all the nominees, and thanks to everyone who’s taken part in the Festival so far, whether as a filmmaker or an avid viewer and active member of our Films & Festivals community.

Now let’s wait and see who’s awarded on May 20th!

Announcing the winners of last week’s Toywatch contest:

Documentary: gandalf76 for commenting on GREATER - Defeating AIDS

Looking for Genius: michaelengro for commenting on Seventh and Hill

Music Video: spacebarshift2003 for commenting on Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch

Short film: nandrolino for commenting on REWIND

Social/Environment: superkev for commenting on FILL

Spot/Advertising: vaness for commenting on The Pocket Crossborder

We’ve just announced the lists of the overall audience choice in each category, based on films’ popularity from the beginning of the festival to the end of voting on May 7th - one of these films will be going to Spike Lee and could win the festival.

You can see the audience’s choice on the Babelgum blog.

Just to remind you that the Audience Contest is still underway - you could win either an eyecatching Toywatch (write a comment about one of last week’s Top of the BOFF) or a trip to Cannes - if the film you review turns out to be one of the winners you could be flying to the French Riviera to attend the gala awards ceremony with Spike Lee and the winners!

So get your creative juices flowing - the more original your review, the more likely it is to win.

This is our last “Top of the BOFF” post before the final Audience Choices are announced.

The seven most popular films at the end of last week reflect on past, present and future.

In the Animation category, A Letter to Colleen is a coming-of-age tale in which the author invites us into his inner world, haunted by one night of debauchery he experienced as a teenager. A powerful soundtrack helps to impress the story on the viewer too.
A Letter To Colleen

Steal this Film is understandably popular in an online environment, offering a look at the explosion of internet file sharing and downloading. It can be seen, but not stolen, in the Documentary category.
STEAL

Back again at the top of the Looking for Genius category is the immensely popular Waiting… , which offers a rare glimpse into the lives of Palestinian schoolchildren.

Holding on to top position in the Music video category, the quirky Scandinavian video for Phantom Punch by Norwegian singer Sondre Lerche.

Top rated in the Short film category is Pre-Life/Post-Life. Two friends sitting in a waiting room make plans for their next life. Things don’t turn out quite how they expected.

The top entry in the Social/Environment category asks people to answer the emotive question What is Tragedy? A wonderfully simple concept that tells us more about the inhabitants of a Brooklyn community than about tragedy itself.

Still hanging on as most popular entry in the Spot/Advertising category is The Pocket Crossborder which by now needs no introduction. Just don’t try this at home!

The jury members are currently settling down to watch the top 10 films in each category, as Spike Lee mentioned in his blog post on The Guardian Online.

The shortlists are made up of the ten most popular films as of April 25th. Two films in each category will be selected by the jury for the final shortlist to be judged by Spike Lee.

To see the full list of the entries that made it, see the Babelgum blog.

Meanwhile voting continues until May 7th to find the third film shortlisted in each category, which will essentially be the audience’s top choice. So films that didn’t make it onto the top 10 are still in with a chance!