Well, we’ve only gone and done it. After years of telling other people how to make movies, we’ve finally gone and backed up our big talk with one of our own. Kinda.

Actually, we’ve made a two-minute short to kick off the Electric Shorts competition, an innovative new film challenge brought to you by the Soho House Group, supported by Mercedes-Benz and in association with our good selves. Because, basically, it’s your turn.

Electric Shorts will give both unknown and established filmmakers a chance to win a budget of £5000 in order to make a short film, which will be screened – just like Empire’s effort – at London’s oldest cinema, the world-famous Electric Cinema. Not a bad way to mark the venerated venue’s 100th birthday.

The winning Electric Shorts will also be screened in the newly-launched Aubin Cinema in Shoreditch, London, and in Soho House clubs and screening rooms across North America, Europe and the UK.

And now for the rules: each Electric Short must be no longer than two minutes, they must be set in a Soho House venue, and they must incorporate the theme of ‘desire’. Take Empire’s effort, for example: shot at the beautiful Babington House in Frome, Somerset, Members Only is a two-minute silent comedy about a buffoon desperately trying to gain entry to an exclusive country hotel in order to hook up with the girl of his dreams. Needless to say, it doesn’t go entirely smoothly.

If you think you can do better than us – and frankly, that shouldn’t be difficult – here’s how you go about it. In order to win the chance to make an Electric Short, you must first pitch your idea in the form of a written proposal, reflecting the theme of Desire, in no more than 400 words. Submit your entry at www.electricshorts.com, by July 1, 2010.

If your pitch is chosen by the Electric Shorts panel, which includes Empire editor Mark Dinning, Film 2010 presenter Claudia Winkleman, Kick-Ass producer Kris Thykier, Warner Bros. Executive Vice-President & Managing Director, Josh Berger, Soho House founder, Nick Jones and many more top names from the film world, then you will receive £5000 of funding with which to make your film at one of the following Soho House locations around the world:

Babington House, Dean Street Townhouse, Cowshed, Soho House New York, Shoreditch Rooms, High Road House, Soho House Berlin.

The Electric Shorts need to be completed by October 1, 2010, and all finalists will have their work screened at the Electric. The overall winner will receive a two-year Every House membership.

compiling your entry, and to have a quick looksee at Empire’s Members Only, visit www.electricshorts.com.