Actor Jed Brophy and his best friend Mark Hadlow were the protagonists of a feature film shot in New Zealand back in 2018, Blue Moon. It was shot entirely with an iPhone and a low budget, in a single location.
When the team reached out to us, Susy Botello was immediately drawn to their story because: 1) it was shot with a phone, it looked and sounded great, had a great story, and the acting was phenomenal! 2) Mark and Jed were actors from New Zealand who played dwarves Dori and Nori in The Hobbit Trilogy by Peter Jackson.
“My favorite film franchise is Lord Of The Rings, and it’s had a special place in my mind every day since I watched the very first film. Years later, magic happened. Today, I consider Jed and Mark two of my closest friends.” Said Susy.
Although Blue Moon came too late to be submitted to our festival in 2019, Susy invited the team to her SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking podcast with director Stef Harris, Jed Brophy and Mark Hadlow. Listen to these episodes and be inspired.
Latest: Don’t miss a special episode with IMFF ambassadors Jed Brophy and Mark Hadlow from December 2020.
Our friendship evolved, and Jed and Mark agreed to become ambassadors for our film festival in 2020. They are both very supportive of all we do and the mobile filmmaking community at large.
This past July, Susy finally met Jed Brophy in person during San Diego Comic-Con International. Jed was signing autographs and promoting the new The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power series which just premiered this Friday, evening September 1, on Amazon Prime.
Watch the video above, which Susy shot with her iPhone at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022.
The 12th edition of the International Mobile Film Festival is scheduled to take place April 28-30, 2023. Don’t miss it!
We bring together people from the smartphone filmmaking community around the world to share, connect and celebrate their accomplishments. We have a unique red carpet with a local famed charity cosplay group that escorts and plays with attending filmmakers.
Submissions are open for feature and short films shot with smartphones. We also have a new short screenplay and smartphone photo contest.
Be a part of the coolest community of filmmakers around the world in San Diego’s 12th Edition International Mobile Film Festival!
A Message from Jed Brophy