MY HERO Film Festival

Dear Film Enthusiast,

Do you know someone who is looking for a venue for his or her short film?
The MY HERO Film Festival is currently accepting entries of up to 10
minutes in length for its 2008 competition.  The festival is a component
of the MY HERO Project, an educational, not-for-profit organization that
celebrates heroes from all walks of life.  The mission of the MY HERO Film
Festival is to encourage awareness of human rights and environmental
responsibility as well as to improve communication between people of all
cultures. 

A screening and celebration takes place November 22 at the University of
Southern California’s School for Cinematic Arts.  Winners will receive
prizes such as cash, video equipment and software, hotel accommodations
and round-trip airfare to attend the award ceremony in Los Angeles.  In
addition to the screening, the winning films are presented to a global
audience on the MY HERO web site (www.myhero.com).

The MY HERO Film Festival welcomes entries from filmmakers of all ages and
levels of experience: Student, Elementary School, Middle School, High
School, College or Graduate School, Enthusiast, Community and
Professional.  Judges are looking for originality, creativity,
storytelling, technical expertise and entertainment value.

Entries may be in DV (mini DV or DV Cam), DVD or CD (Mpeg or QuickTime
movie files only).  The categories are as follows:

Narrative – a film that tells a story, uses actors, and is often fictional
Experimental – a film that combines several media to express a theme or
concept
Documentary – a true story about a real person or situation
Animation – a story that incorporates various animation techniques such as
stop motion, drawing, 3D, clay animation and Flash

The MY HERO web site also offers ideas and suggestions for every step of
the filmmaking process, from choosing a location to editing the final
project. Detailed lesson plans are available on the MY HERO web site for
educators who want to help and inspire young filmmakers.

Entries are accepted year-round, but to qualify for the 2008 competition,
entries must be received by October 1st.  Films received after this date
will be entered into the following year’s Festival, and will not be
eligible for prizes in 2008.  The $25 entry fee ($20 for students) may be
waived if you or your school are unable to pay.  For more information,
festival rules, entry, consent and fee waiver forms, visit the website at
http://www.myhero.com and follow the Short Films link
to the Film Festival page. You can also email:media@myheroproject.org.  

Young Writers and Filmmakers Given the Chance to Showcase Talent to Key Players in British Film Industry

Get Connected, the charity that provides a helpline for young people, are launching Nobody’s Perfect, a new website for young writers, actors and directors to showcase their talents to professional writers, producers and directors. Young people between 16 and 25 can submit film, scripts and music to win the chance to produce six short films that address issues like self-harm, sexuality and bullying.

Top British movie producer Nick O'Hagan (Fever Pitch, Tideland) is supporting Nobody's Perfect by judging entrants and mentoring the winners.

“I’m always on the lookout for new British talent and I’m confident this competition will unearth some exciting young writers and directors and I look forward to working with them on the project.”

Nick O’Hagan will be joined on the judging panel by up-and-coming writer-director Paris Leonti (Daylight Robbery) and by actors Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter), Tom Hardy (Layer Cake, RocknRolla), Georgia Groome (London to Brighton, Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging) and JJ Feild (Northanger Abbey).

Get Connected will give the winners the chance to work on six short films in London in September. The finished films will then receive a premiere in the capital at the Odeon Covent Garden and be supported by numerous media partners including ITV Local, Tiscali and Raindance.

"Get Connected provides a confidential phone, email and web-chat service for under-25s and this competition will let them communicate their feelings in a way that's relevant to them," says Chloe Darlington, External Affairs Manager at Get Connected. "The support we’ve received from the media industry has been fantastic and we’re sure their enthusiasm for the project will really inspire the young people.”

The Nobody's Perfect website was officially launched today and can be viewed at www.nobodys-perfect.co.uk