There's hope in all of our lives

Samy’s Camera, CinemaWorks, Samy’s DV & Edit, and the City of Hope are proud to partner to bring you a film challenge about hopeful stories because right now, we could all use stories of hope and inspiration in our life! 

THE CHALLENGE: Submit a short film, 2-5 minutes, that reflects a story of hope. We could all use a little hope in our life!  In a video 2-5 minutes, submit a story that reflects hope.  Topics could feature: overcoming great obstacles, the joy through the eyes of children, achieving your goals, winning, and helping others, just to name a few. This contest supports the work of City of Hope, in California; however, filmmakers from around the world are invited to submit! The films will premiere at PhotoConLA and screen all weekend long from June 8-10, 2018 at Magic Box at The Reef in Los Angeles.

Topics may include:

• Overcoming great obstacles
• The joy through the eyes of children
• Achieving a goal
• Winning an opportunity
• Helping and serving others
• Organizations in your community making a positive impact

Entries will be evaluated based on the following judging criteria:

• Creativity (45%)
• Technical Merit (30%)
• Adherence to the Assignment (25%)

This contest supports the work of City of Hope in California; however, filmmakers from around the world are invited to submit.

HOW THE WINNERS ARE DETERMINED:  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 finalists and award the winners.

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 in Los Angeles
• 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

Please note: The finalist films in this challenge may be used across additional multiple distribution channels.

ABOUT SAMY'S CAMERA: Samy Kamienowicz founded Samy's Camera in 1976 after working for his uncle's camera store for 18 years. Samy had a vision for a full-service store, carrying an extensive array of photographic equipment and supplies with an experienced and friendly staff. This vision is exemplified at our main location on Fairfax Boulevard, with four floors brimming with the latest and most exciting selection of photographic equipment available. But you don’t need to live in L.A. to access our full inventory – visit our full-service locations in Culver City, Santa Ana, Pasadena, Santa Barbara and San Francisco. And, of course, on samys.com.

ABOUT CITY OF HOPE: City of Hope is a leader in the fight to conquer cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Our mission is to quickly turn research ideas into cures that help save patients’ lives all over the world.

ABOUT PHOTOCONLA 2018: Billed as a ‘Photo & Cinema Learning Event’, PhotoCon LA will take place June 8, 9, 10 2018 at the Magic Box @ the Reef in Downtown Los Angeles.  Over 50 of the photographic and cinema industry’s top brands including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Fuji and many more will be in attendance to make this event Southern California’s largest ever photo and cinema trade show.

Over three days, the vast 60,000 square foot space at the Reef will be packed with a virtual Who’s Who of the photographic and cinema communities providing education with over 100 classes for all levels of photo enthusiasts and professionals, sales of the newest and most innovated equipment, Photo Exhibits, 4K Theatre, Drones, Food and Entertainment. Many of the most respected brands in photography and cinema will be on hand offering product demonstrations and exclusive deals and discounts only available to PhotoCon LA attendees.

Special guest speakers will share their experiences as photography, video, and cinema professionals.  Speakers and instructors from all over the United States will be presenting their work, style, and techniques in a lineup that will cover all aspects of photography and cinema. Celebrities from the world of sports, entertainment, and social media will also be on hand to round out the event.

ABOUT AUDIENCE AWARDS: Audience Awards provides filmmakers the opportunity get discovered, win prizes and build an audience. Films are judged by the audience as well as top-level industry professionals. We are committed to providing a stage for diverse, emerging talent and their creative work. Created by filmmakers, for filmmakers, Audience Awards offers an invaluable platform for exposure. Our filmmakers don't just gain exposure - like press and social media engagement - but also opportunities to accelerate their careers (like studio deals). Learn More: https://theaudienceawards.com/filmmakers

PLEASE USE THE DISCUSSION TAB FOR QUESTIONS

SUBMISSIONS DUE BY

Submissions Closed

VOTING OPENS

May 11, 2018 at 4:00pm PDT (America/Los_Angeles)

VOTING CLOSES

May 22, 2018 at 10:00am PDT (America/Los_Angeles)

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

May 29, 2018 at 1:00pm PDT (America/Los_Angeles)

PRIZE DESCRIPTION

Four Canon cameras + prizes

FINAL TEAM AWARDS

1st Place Jury Award: Canon XF-405

2nd Place Jury Award: Canon XF-205

3rd Place Jury Award: Canon XA-35

Honorable Mention: Canon XA-11