Village Roadshow's anti-piracy film competition is an absolute joke

Oh yep, this eerie pic will make me stop downloading content. Not. Photo / Jesse Wakelin Vimeo

When it comes to stopping online piracy Down Under, Australia film company Village Roadshow is leading the charge.

Unparalleled in its efforts, the company is currently locked in a legal battle to force mandatory blocking of torrent websites from an ISP level.

Village Roadshow has also been very vocal with threats to track down and fine Aussies facilitating illegal file-sharing online.

While these approaches might sound worrisome, its latest effort to combat piracy is just laughable.

In an attempt to further spread its tough anti-piracy messages, Village Roadshow called on aspiring filmmakers to enter its "Unscene" film competition.

"The five minute production should explore, educate and entertain, while centring around piracy and its effects on the film industry," the competition website reads.

First prize is $A10,000 (NZ$10,647) cash, film equipment and the possibility of having your film played before movies in Village cinemas.

With submissions open until the end of November, some of the entries have already been posted on Vimeo for the world to see.

And this is where things become laughable.

If you thought the "you wouldn't steal a car" anti-piracy campaign was a joke, you haven't seen anything yet.

Most of the entries in the competition are using scare tactics to get the message across, with one video suggesting a man with a mask will murder you if you download movies illegally - yes, you read that correctly.

Then there is a Blair Witch-esque short film, which ends with the "film industry" hanging by a noose in a dark forest.

Oh and then there is the very cliche entry of using actual pirates to explore piracy.

While these are only some of the early entries and more effective ones may be released, it's a little hard to believe the competition will have an impact on those illegally downloading content.