“Democracy is…” : Democracy Video Challenge
Last month the US Department of State launched its second annual Democracy Video Challenge, a competition designed to promote dialogue on democracy. The deadline for all video submissions is January 31st, 2010.
At the launch, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale delivered remarks reiterating the President and Secretary of States’ emphasis on importance of democracy as well as engaging with others to listen to their thoughts and ideas. “The Democracy Video Challenge helps accomplish both of these goals,” she said. The Democracy Video Challenge is a unique partnership comprising democracy, and youth organizations, the film and entertainment industry, academia, and the U.S. government.
Anyone over the age of 18 can enter. The video must be no longer than three minutes, and it must complete the phrase “Democracy is…” You can submit a video (via a YouTube account) anonymously, but if your submission is anonymous you will not be eligible for the trip to Washington, which is a part of the prize:
- An all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., New York and Hollywood.
- Gala screenings of the winning videos in Hollywood, New York and Washington
- Exposure to filmmakers and the U.S. film and television industry.
- Meetings with democracy advocates from government, media and civil society.
Visit this link for more details on the competition. The official rules and guidelines are at this link.
The video featured at the top of this post was one of the seven winning entries from last year. It is titled ‘Long live the fearless man‘.
October 13th, 2009 16:11
Democracy is…When the representation is fair and equal. Then a land may be said to govern itself, and consequently to possess true liberty. But when representation is only partial, a land possesses liberty only partially, and if it is extremely partial it gives only a semblance of liberty. And if, not only extremely partial, but corruptly chosen and under corrupt influences after being chosen, it becomes a nuisance and produces the worst of all forms of governments: A government by and for corruption. A government carried on and supported by spreading venality through the land. And when democracy becomes corrupt the best gravitates to the bottom and the worst floats to the top. And the vile is replaced by the more vile.
December 19th, 2009 14:14
@True Grit – Shortfilm.de über “Democracy Is…”
(…)
Die Ablehnung eines deutschen Films beim letzten Wettbewerb warf ein seltsames Licht auf das Demokratie-Verständnis der Veranstalter. Dem Filmemacher Tino Schwanemann von der Berliner Werbefilm-Firma Einscommanull wurde mitgeteilt, sein Film werfe einen zu strengen Blick auf die negativen Seiten der amerikanischen Demokratie und übersehe, dass die positiven Seiten überwiegen. Schwanemanns Beitrag ist ein professionell rotoskopierter Animationsfilm mit Cartoon-Charakter, der inzwischen eine ganze Reihe von Preisen, unter anderem bei einem Wettbewerb der zivilgesellschaftlichen Initiative der Aktion Mensch, Die Gesellschafter, gewonnen hat.
(Quelle: http://www.shortfilm.de/das-kurzfilmmagazin/nachrichten/nachrichten.html )
Tino Schwanemann’s Film on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep_BudArlPM
“Democracy Is …” on ÉCU International Film Festival Paris http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT7SQ9FVB3s