Over 500 entries from fourteen countries have been received in the inaugural edition of the Afrinolly Short Film Competition, where submission closed on Thursday, January 31. The short film competition comes with total prize money of $100,000 and submissions lasted three months after it kicked off on November 1, 2012. With submissions ranging from the satirical to the sober to the downright scary, the films span genres including animation, comedy, thriller and drama. Entries were received from African filmmakers in countries as diverse as Senegal and Singapore. Other countries on the submission map are Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Canada, Philippines, the US and the UK. Of the 500-plus entries, an initial review team has selected 214 eligible short films and documentaries which will be scaled down by a jury of professionals. Most of the 500+ entries were disqualified for not meeting the specified requirements in the competition rules. An international jury will shortlist 10 films in both the Short movie and Documentary categories, while eventual winners will be selected via public vote on www.afrinollyshortfilmcompetition.com. The international judging panel comprises creative experts such as Documentary filmmaker Femi Odugbemi (head of the jury), Tunde Kelani, Emem Isong, Franklin Leonard, Mahen Bonetti, Juliet Yaa Asante, Bongiwe Selane, Obi Emelonye, Nmachi Jidenma, Carol Kathurima and Tolu Ogunlesi. A cash prize of $25,000 goes to the overall winners in both categories, while the first and second runners-up will receive $10,000 and $5,000 respectively. Outstanding participants also have the opportunity to sign online distribution and content deals with Afrinolly. Winners in the Short Film Competition will be announced on March 6, 2013. The Afrinolly Short Film Competition is aimed at digitally showcasing African cinema talent and providing a platform to foster the generation and of African-made content and make same available online. It is supported by MTN, Blackberry, IREP, Goethe Institut and Google as social media partners.  ]]>