DEPT Agency wins GOLD at STRAIGHT 8 Shootout 2026 with Raw London, Siren Music and DROOL close behind
- Cinelab Film & Digital
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
At an electric screening at London’s Prince Charles Cinema last night, the 16 Super 8 shorts that straight 8 presented in Cannes last Friday played again - and the winners were announced.
The competing companies each made a short film with no creative brief but with
the strict technical limitation of making it on just one Super 8 roll, with no opportunity to edit or post-produce in any way. They gathered alongside other creative companies to see their work for the first time, at a packed London West End cinema. The brave organisations battling included two film schools and were as follows:
BBH /// BORN SOCIAL /// DEPT AGENCY /// DROOL /// HEREFORD COLLEGE OF ARTS /// IMAGINE THIS /// MJZ /// MR+POSITIVE /// NEVERLAND /// SALFORD CELLULOID CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE, SPONSORED BY NEW-LAND /// PULSE FILMS /// RAW LONDON /// SALT /// SIREN MUSIC /// TAROT /// UNCOMMON CREATIVE STUDIO /// VCCP GIRL&BEAR
Each entered company was allowed a vote for their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices, excluding their own. Voting took place in Cannes but, for the first time, the winners were announced in London. The winners each take home a coveted bespoke Super 8 camera trophy made by partners model and SFX company, MACHINESHOP:
GOLD: DEPT Agency, London - “Love You To Death”
SILVER: RAW, London - “Party Wall”
BRONZE: Siren Music, London - “Cat Cracks The Case”
AUDIENCE AWARD*: DROOL Productions, London - “Eye Test”
*Awarded to the company with the loudest audience response to their film, who didn’t get awarded a trophy. They won a Cannes Flip-flop fridge magnet.
Partners:
straight 8 shootout is presented by Cinelab Film & Digital, and supported by APA, SHOTS KODAK and MACHINESHOP
At both Cannes and London straight 8 also screened 4 of the Top 8 selected films from their open straight 8 2026 competition which all played at their Cannes Film Festival screening in May.
These are made by individuals from all over the world, in a highly selective competition. Many of them were there mingling with the industry.
This public version of straight 8 is already open for 2027 - see straight8.net/2027
straight 8 shootout 2027 is also now open for entries. Companies are already taking their places, with a large number of 2026 competitors requesting their places for 2027. Entries are limited to 25 companies, first come first served. Sign yours up now at straight8.net/shootout
The films will be released online shortly, and the show is also available to screen publicly elsewhere in the world, by request. Contact straight 8 for details
Any kind of creative company is invited to take the straight 8 shootout challenge: to make a 2.5 minute short film created entirely in-camera on just one cartridge of super 8mm film. Every shot is taken in story order, with no opportunity for re-takes or editing. Any visual effects, colouring and titling must be done the old-fashioned way: as part of the shoot, with the camera. Super 8 doesn’t record sound, so soundtracks are made ‘blind’ and must be original. Entrants send their exposed but un-developed film cartridges to straight 8 partners Cinelab Film & Digital who will process and scan the films. straight 8 will then line up each soundtrack with the first frame of the film. It’s that ‘simple’.
More info at straight8.net/shootout