Video Contests, Film Festivals, and Awards

(Sarasota, FL) Critical acclaim, $5,000 cash and the opportunity to have his or her work spread across the Internet – that’s what the winner of the Viral Film Project’s Summer 2011 film competition can expect.

The Viral Film Project (VFP) was designed to take film and video competition to the next level, the viral level, according to its founders, by requiring entrants not only to write, produce and shoot a two-minute, on-line movie, but also creating the viral buzz to promote it. All entrants will work with the same topic and within an established time period, and the competition is open to both established and aspiring filmmakers.

“We are especially reaching out to film students,” said Sara Moore, VFP co-founder and veteran multi-media advertising executive. “We’re looking to help these aspiring filmmakers to develop and flourish.”

“The idea is to offer filmmakers the benefits of a conventional competition, such as having their work judged by industry experts, a great cash prize and the opportunity to be part of the community that gets built around a film competition.” said Kyle Lawton, co-founder of the competition. “What we wanted to add to our own contest is the challenge of gaining viral exposure.”

“Over the past decade, the internet has become a vehicle for providing unbelievable exposure, making some people celebrities overnight,” noted VFP co-founder Joseph Grano. “The goal of the Viral Film Project is to take a film competition and inject the exposure-creating element of the Internet into it.” Grano added: “We really wanted to create an environment in which filmmakers can build camaraderie and push one another to gain exposure for their work.”

Competition judges will include actress/singer/producer Audrey Landers, award-winning actress and film producer, Siobhan Mahoney, media professional, Emmy nominee Ray Collins, executive coach and marketing expert Andrew Neitlich and award-winning graphic designer and video producer Rob Welling.

The Summer 2011 competition, which takes place from September 9 to September 22, is the first step in a much larger plan for the Viral Film Project, according to Grano.

“This summer’s competition is just the beginning. We want to keep things fresh and build this community with each competition. The bigger this thing gets, the more we’ll have to offer to all the talented filmmakers out there.”

“With a seemingly endless demand for viral content and a growing generation of talented filmmakers,” Lawton concluded, “the Viral Film Project is changing what a film competition can do by bringing the two together. “

For more details about the Viral Film Project Summer 2011 competition, visit viralfilmproject.com.

Resources:

www.viralfilmproject.com