Made a Hopeful Short? You Could Win a Canon Camera and More

We could all use a little hope in our lives, and with this film challenge, you’ve got a new reason to feel hopeful. 

Samy’s Camera, CinemaWorks, Canon Professional, and the City of Hope in California have partnered on this “Stories of Hope” film challenge. Best of all, it's free to enter.

Here’s the deal: submit a short film (two-to-five minutes) that “reflects a story of hope.” According to the website, potential topics could include overcoming great obstacles, joy through the eyes of children, achieving a goal, winning an opportunity, helping and serving others and community organizations making a difference, among others.

The winning films will premiere at PhotoConLA and screen all weekend long from June 8-10, 2018 at Magic Box at The Reef in Los Angeles.

The contest supports the work of City of Hope, a non-profit leader in the fight to conquer cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening diseases. Filmmakers from around the world are welcome to submit. The winning films will premiere at PhotoConLA and screen all weekend long from June 8-10, 2018 at Magic Box at The Reef in Los Angeles.

Entries will be evaluated based on the following judging criteria: creativity (45%), technical merit (30%), and adherence to the assignment (25%). The contest is free to enter, but to participate, filmmakers must have a valid Audience Awards account (which is free). Films may have been exhibited or previously distributed.  

From the first round of accepted entries, the top 5 entries with the most votes and the top 5 preliminary jury selected entries will advance to the finals round. The Samy's camera team will select the top 10 finalists and award the winners. Submissions close on 5/11/18 at 12 pm PST. Winners will be announced on 5/25 at 1 pm PST.

PRIZE DESCRIPTION:

• 1st Place Jury Choice wins a Canon XF-405 camera
• 2nd Place Jury Choice wins a Canon XF-205 camera
• 3rd Place Jury Choice wins a Canon XA-35 camera
• Honorable Mention Jury Choice wins a Canon XA-11 camera

All 10 finalist filmmakers receive:

• 1 All-Access pass to attend Audience Awards Film Festival the following weekend in Los Angeles, June 2018
• Year-long promotion to agents, distributors and studios as a finalist in the Samy’s Camera Stories of Hope Campaign.
• A 3-month pro membership to Audience Awards

For more details about how to apply and contest terms, visit the contest page at Audience Awards.