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Game on for 'Star Wars' videomakers

Candace Lombardi
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.
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Candace Lombardi
2 min read

With no new films on the horizon, what's a Star Wars fan to do?

There are only so many Star Wars toys and Star Wars props one can gawk over.

Luckily, Lucasfilm, Spike TV and AtomFilms unveiled the details of this year's "Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge" on Wednesday. The name has changed, but this is the same contest that gave you Pink Five and Pitching Lucas.

Fans are asked to submit homemade videos or animations tied to Star Wars characters.

The contest's original name, "the Star Wars Fan Film Awards," was changed, and for good reason.

"There really isn't any 'film' being reviewed anymore. Just as with the Star Wars movies themselves, our annual competition has proudly entered the digital age," Steve Sansweet, director of Lucasfilm fan relations, said in a statement.

This year Star Wars fan fiction has also been added as a contest category in addition to things like parody and documentary.

Winners will be determined by Star Wars creator George Lucas, Lucasfilm and Atom Films employees and, naturally, Internet voters.

No word on whether might also be included as a judge.

For the first time, clips of the winning entries will be aired on Spike TV, a property of MTV Networks. They will also be shown online and at the Star Wars Celebration IV on May 24 through May 28 in Los Angeles.

After that, they will be viewable in full at the official Star Wars site.

This year's convention will commemorate the 30th anniversary since George Lucas's Leia, Han, Luke and the words "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." first graced the big screen.

"I'm very happy we're continuing this event, which we began in 2002, because out of the current crop of it's quite possible we'll find some of tomorrow's best writers, producers and directors," Lucas said in a statement.

Whether your entry is a Star Wars ASCIIMATION or a , I'm sure Ben, Yoda, Dad and Uncle Owen will be proud, too.

May the force be with you.