Ulvrikian-Auroran Film Festival
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The Ulvrikian-Auroran Film Festival (UAFF) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting a massive amount of visitors each year. Since its founding in 1982, UAFF membership has grown from only including Jusdelva and Vakrestrender to a growing list of various Ulvrikian and Aurorans nations.
All year, the UAFF offers screenings, lectures, discussions, festivals, workshops, industry support and the intermixing of various filmmakers and producers from across the planet. The UAFF changes host-nation each year switching between a Ulvrikian nation and a Auroran nation. Starting in Vakrestrender in 1982 and then 1983 held in Jusdelva.
The festival’s ‘Community Select Award’ which is based on audience voting, has been noted as an indicator of success for gaining an award in the prestigious Valkyr Media Arts Festival. Past recipients of the Community Choice Select and then later gaining a award the Valkyr Media Arts Festival would be The Iron Queen: First Making of Atlalandr (2019), Sorry Parents, I love her (1998) and many others.
The festival is run by a board made up from the various member states of the UAFF and a reserved ceremonial seat for the Bjørn Family.
Background
The Ulvrikian-Auroran Film Festival was the machinations of Kristoffer Bjørn who aimed to strengthen relations between the traditional rival influences and push Valkyr media.
The UAFF started by collecting the most popular and considered to be the best from more local film festivals before showing at the festival. The first year (1982), was considered to be a large success despite only including the two nations, drawing tens of thousands of visitors across Norgsveldet and Great Morstaybishlia into Vakrestrender and then the second year (1983) in Jusdelva drawing a greater crowd than the last.
The first UAFF being hosted in Vakrestrender was held in the Gustaf II’s Grand Theater. Which after the first year was greatly expanded to hold more visitors.
Awards
The festival’s grand prize, the Community Select Award, is given to a feature-length film. It is given to the film with the highest ratings voted by the visitors to the awards. The winners of this award more than often than not would win into Valkyr Media Arts Festival though it is most often the Excellent Prize or the Popular Vote and not the Grand Prize.
The UAFF does have juried awards with other categories for full length films. Such as the awards for “Best Experimental Films”, “Artistic Award” and “Best Short Film.”
For non-feature length films and short films, such as TV pilots or indie videos the UAFF has several awards. The only two non-juried awards for this category is the “Best Pilot” and the “Most Anticipated Show.” The other categories being juried are “Best Auroran Pilot”, “Best Ulvrikian Pilot” and several others.
Programs
The hundreds of films screened at the yearly festivals are divided into different programs or sections. It is based on genres, formats, status of filmmakers and so forth. Until 2007 there were separate categories for Auroran films and Ulvrikian films, and in the 2008 festival the films were integrated into the same categories of programs.
- Big Name Cinema: Feature films by established directors.
- Twice Lighting: Films that are typically the director’s first or second feature films.
- Red Carpet Section: The more high-profile feature films, often featuring international or national level movie stars.
- Dream of Artistry: Feature films by filmmakers seen as the most influential in the world of art-house films.
- Small Screens: Television episodes making their premiere or releasing their pilot episode.
- Small Films: Programs that cover short films.
- Restored History: Program that features classic films that have been newly restored. Often featuring color and improved sound quality.
- Next Generation: Films targeted towards children and teenagers.
- The Weird: Experimental films, art films and films that don’t conform to traditional categories. Named after an experimental film named “The Weird” by director Herman Teigen.
Media coverage
In 2022, UAFF hosted 1,950 members of the press, online and print media outlets. Majority of them being companies of some relation to the Bjørn Trust. In addition to media sources, major industry trade magazines representatives are brought in as well to the festival that produce daily editions during the festival. UAFF reports that it appears in a wide variety of alternative media, such as celebrity blogs, international entertainment shows and Ourtube channels.