March 3, 2008
The fourth annual Film Your Issue competition is underway, and The HSUS wants young filmmakers to put the focus on animals. The competition is open to anyone (in the world) aged 14 to 24.
FYI founder HeathCliff Rothman started the competition to provide a platform for young adults to give voice to their passions and concerns.
"We focus on 14 to 24 year-olds because we feel that young adults need to be encouraged to participate in the public dialogue," he said. Rothman, an ardent supporter of animal welfare, believes the public dialogue must include animal issues and has once again selected The Humane Society of the United States to represent those issues.
HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle will help judge the competition along with such notables as Walter Cronkite, Tom Brokaw, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Maher, and other jurors from the realms of media, film, business, and politics.
"This is a unique opportunity for budding filmmakers to help change the world for animals through their art," said Pacelle. He urged everyone who cares about animal issues to spread the word about the competition. "You may not fit within the targeted age range, but you can encourage the commitment and creativity of someone who does.
Get Inspired, Enter to Win
On the Film Your Issue website, The HSUS has provided inspiration for filmmakers in the form of information on our major campaigns, as well as other animal topics through the ACE (Animal Content in Entertainment) program of the HSUS Hollywood Office. The HSUS will also offer a two-week internship in the HSUS Hollywood Office to one winner of an animal-themed film.
Other prizes include internships at USA TODAY, The United Nations, and the PBS Series "P.O.V." The competition is being supported by an unprecedented array of partners, including The United Nations, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the NAACP, USA TODAY, The Associated Press, MTV, the NRDC, Starz, The Human Rights Campaign, the National Association of Student Councils, AFI Silverdocs and AFI Screen Nation, International Documentary Association, MySpace, the award-winning PBS series P.O.V., the American Association of University Professors, the University Film and Video Association and the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Entrants must register their films on the Film Your Issue website, where last year's winners can also be viewed. Films must be no longer than 2 minutes in length, and the deadline for submissions is April 14, 2008.
