Don’t we all dream of one? An encounter with Herzog, that is. But what would you do if you actually met him? Ask him if he really did pull that boat over a mountain or whether deep down Christian Bale is a good guy? In reality, I think we’d all freeze with fear, staring in awe at his moustache. Thank god there’s now a middle-man – well, three in fact. For those who have dreamt of getting their film in Herzog’s hands, Shooting People, Revolver Entertainment and the Barbican have stepped up to the breach. The three organisations have teamed up to present Encounters with Herzog – A Film Competition, which will see Werner himself as judge.

They’re looking for short films (12 mins or under) that have taken Herzog’s filmmaking spirit (you can almost smell it …) and crafted a film with this in mind. The short docs in competition are some of the strongest contenders. Andy Wilson’s film Joseph is a beautifully shot portrait of a man living alone in Taos, New Mexico.

Camped out in his roadside trailer, Joseph recounts tales of loneliness and a mad ex-girlfriend who, “turned out to be a chain-smoking alcoholic.” Echoing the manic innocence of Timothy Treadwell in Grizzly Man (2005), Wilson’s doc captures that rare essence of what makes Herzog’s films such a pleasure to watch.

The winning film, as chosen by Herzog, will be screened prior to his documentary Encounters at the End of the World (2007) at the Barbican on Sunday 27 September 2009. The film is part of the Werner Herzog Directorspective which will be running 12-27 September 2009. Revolver Entertainment will be releasing Encounters on DVD on 31 August.

You can check out all films in competition and enter your own by clicking here.