Help Independent Cinemas by Entering This 'Sweded' Short Film Festival

In the 2008 film Be Kind, Rewind, Jack Black and company recreated some of their favorite films on VHS using a no-budget approach. Known as “sweding,” the technique has caught on, and now you can enter a short film of your own in a festival that has the added benefit of helping independent cinemas struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sweded Festival for Creative Re-Creations is organized by Row House Cinema and was once relegated to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area. Now it’s open to submissions from around the country. Entrants are asked to make a short (three- to five-minute) film paying homage to their favorite Hollywood movies using whatever locations and props they can find.

Previous entries have included takes on Alien, E.T., and The Princess Bride. Here’s a “sweded” version of Jaws:

The entries will be evaluated by a team of judges and the winners selected for inclusion in a full-length collection that will be broadcast in January 2021 to select independent cinemas and digital cinemas. (A cash prize is also awarded.) A portion of ticket sales will go to financial relief for cinemas affected by the pandemic.

You can enter online through December 31.