Bell Shakespeare has announced a brand new film festival, open to Australian primary and secondary students, called the Bell Shakespeare Shorts Festival. The festival invites students to create short films about or inspired by Shakespeare’s works using smartphones, tablets or video cameras.

The festival was originally designed with schools in mind, but has been adapted to suit the situation students have found themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic, so households with students at home are also eligible to submit films, even if in different age groups. All films submitted must feature the student’s school, neighbourhood or community and must be in one of two categories, ‘Retelling’ – films using Shakespeare’s original text and story – or ‘Reimagining’ – films that adapt, rework or are inspired by Shakespeare’s works.

Households that participate will be provided with access to online resources on filmmaking and performing Shakespeare.

“This is a great project for students of any age that they can work on from home or school. We want to be surprised, moved, delighted, and even shocked seeing Shakespeare through the fresh lens of young people across Australia,” said Bell Shakespeare’s Artistic Director Peter Evans. “Reimagine the Hamlet quote ‘To thine own...