Nokia is calling on movie-lovers in the UK to vote for their favorite 15-second short film at www.nokiashorts.co.uk - and give the winning director a chance to showcase their talents in a longer film.

From an interesting take on speed dating to the driving test from hell, the ten Nokia Shorts 2004 finalists span a range of genres and employ a variety of innovative film techniques. There's animation, comedy, drama and some surreal dark comedies - all executed within 15 seconds.
 
Nokia Shorts is designed to encourage the development of film content for mobile devices and was launched in June by Oscar-winning director Mike Figgis. The winner, as chosen by members of the public, will get the opportunity to make a longer film with a professional crew plus training courses courtesy of Raindance, UK's leading independent film company.
 
The finalists, chosen by an industry-led panel, were screened at this year's 12th Raindance Film Festival, which took place at selected cinemas in London between the 1st and 10th October 2004, where festival goers were able vote for their favorite.
 
"With the competition only in its second year, we have been astonished by the interest in Nokia Shorts among young film makers and the quality of the entries that we received," said Mirko Aksentijevic, Business Manager, Nokia Multimedia UK. "With video content becoming more and more popular on mobile phones, Nokia Shorts is paving the way in terms of the type of content that people will be able to consume on their handsets."
 
"This competition really shows the talent that exists out there among the young British film community," said Elliot Grove director and founder of Raindance. "To get a concept across in just fifteen seconds is no easy feat and we were thrilled at the high standard of the entries. These 10 film makers will now gain fantastic exposure through having their shorts shown at this year's Raindance Film Festival."
 
The winner of Nokia Shorts 2004 will be announced in early November. The winner will receive training courses in the key aspects of film making at Raindance and also have the opportunity to make another short film, longer in length than 15 seconds and with a bigger budget, professional crew and professional film equipment. The two runners-up will also receive Raindance training courses. Each finalist will receive a new Nokia 7610 imaging phone with 1 megapixel integrated camera.
 
For further information, please contact the Nokia Mobile Phones UK Press Office on +44 845 070 7619 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia is dedicated to enhancing people's lives and productivity by providing easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, and solutions for imaging, games, media, mobile network operators and businesses. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on five major exchanges.
 
About Raindance
Raindance is dedicated to fostering and promoting independent film in the UK and around the world. Raindance combines Film Training Courses, Rawtalent Productions, Raindance, Raindance East and Raindance Kids Film Festivals, Raindance Film Magazine, and hosts the prestigious British Independent Film Awards. Raindance spans the full spectrum of the art, craft and business of independent movies - from guerilla style low or no budget production through to big budget indie blockbusters.
 
For further information, please contact:
Elliot Grove on +44 20 7287 3833 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.raindance.co.uk