Video Contests, Film Festivals, and Awards

(Los Angeles, CA) - The Artist Resource Center today announced the selection of six short films to be showcased in the One Lens Film Festival scheduled Thursday, August 16 at 7 p.m. at the Arclight Cinemas in Sherman Oaks, CA. The One Lens Film Festival is designed to encourage artists to create and use films to entertain, uplift and give a voice to social causes.

�We received an overwhelming number of submissions that made the selection process quite challenging,� said One Lens Director of Programming Candice Afia. �We believe each of the films selected will not only entertain the audience but resonate with individuals on an internal level that will encourage people to be more socially conscious and pro-active within society.�

During this inaugural season of the film festival, Executive Producer Tour� Roberts encourages aspiring filmmakers and art enthusiasts alike to attend the festival for a different theatre-going experience.

�In today�s society the lines between art imitating life and life imitating art have blurred significantly,� said Roberts. �The One Lens Film Festival is an opportunity to allow filmmakers to present ideas, stories and perspectives that can have a positive effect on the viewer that will make people think, care and hopefully, act upon something experienced on screen.�

The six short films selected for the 2012 One Lens Film Festival are:

Helping Innocent Vessels:
A young man finds hope despite his recent diagnosis with an incurable disease.
Director: Abel Berumen
Producer: Logan Square Films

Ma�ana:
A 12 year old Columbian boy has one dream: to play professional soccer like his father, whom he doesn't know. Despite his mother's disapproval, Ram�n will try to find a way to play the final match that will take the winners to the capital, tomorrow.
Director: Felipe Holguin
Producer: Maria Teresa Gaviria

Willowbrook:
Based on true events, Willowbrook is the story of sons and daughters abandoned by their parents in dilapidated institutions and the struggle of a young man against the researchers who use them for experimentation and scientific advancement.
Director: Ross Cohen
Producers: Jeremy Cohen, May Losotaluno

Love Stinks:
Everyone needs someone to love, but sometimes Love Stinks!
Written & Animated by Joseph Rothenberg
Producer: Vince Allen

The Christmas Tree:
A struggling single father prepares to spend his first Christmas alone with his daughter, but when their tree is lost on Christmas Eve, he's placed in a troubling predicament.
Director: Angel Kristi Williams
Producer: Mel Jones

Asad:
A young boy in a war-torn Somalian village faces a moral dilemma.
Director/Writer: Bryan Buckley
Producer: Matt Lefebvre

To view a sneak peek of the selected short films, please click here: http://vimeo.com/m/45688498

The films will be adjudicated by an accomplished panel of leaders in the entertainment industry, including Traci Lynn Blackwell, CW Network VP of Current Programming; Nikkole Denson-Randolph, AMC Theatres VP of Specialty & Alternative Content; DeVon Franklin, Columbia Pictures VP of Production; Charles King, William Morris Endeavor (WME) Talent Agent; Seith Mann, Television Director (Grey�s Anatomy, The Wire); Ezra Swerdlow, Executive Producer (21 Jump Street, Invincible); Tracie Thoms, Actress/Producer (Safe House, Rent); and Jaun Villarreal, Executive Producer/Film Financier. Each film will be adjudicated for a chance to win cash prizes ranging from $750 - $2,500. The festival will also present awards for Best Actor, Spotlight on Justice and Audience Choice.

Additionally the One Lens Film Festival is partnering with the Justice Media Convergence Summit to further their mission to showcase films that give a voice to social justice causes. Scheduled August 17-18th the summit will feature conference call mentoring sessions with influential leaders and screenings of the powerful documentaries �Father of Lights� and �Nefarious.� For more information, please visit http://v-kol.com/wp/.





Resources:

www.onelensfilmfestival.com