NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–A “Short Film Awards” competition –- linking technology with evangelism –- has been announced by the e-business department of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Digital films up to three minutes in length may be submitted in one of four categories: plan of salvation, faith, hope and love. There is no entry fee and no limit to the number of films that producers may submit.
Prizes for the 2005 Short Film Awards include a professional digital camcorder, Apple iPods, video editing software and portable DVD players.
Award entries will be accepted until Dec. 1.
“This is an opportunity for individuals and churches to influence our culture using a media that already is so infused in our daily lives,” said Gary McClure, LifeWay’s e-business marketing manager. “These digital films will be seen by many thousands of people and have a great chance to make a Kingdom impact.”
The awards coincide with the introduction of a streaming media tool called “eMediaLINK,” LifeWay’s new service for churches to have audio and video on their websites.
All entries will be evaluated by a judging panel on production quality, clarity of spiritual message, creativity and overall short film quality. The film awards’ finalists will be voted on by visitors to lifeway.com in an “American Idol”-style format from Dec. 1 until Jan. 14, followed by the naming of a “Best in Show” and other winners.
Several factors contributed to the creation of the awards. Recent studies have shown that more than 82 million Americans use the Internet for faith-related reasons, while churches increasingly are using digital media to supplement sermons, Bible studies and events. The capability of making quality digital movies, meanwhile, has expanded to the masses.
The end result of these annual awards will be a growing collection of high quality digital clips anyone can use at no cost. “We encourage churches not only to submit clips as entries, but to come back and select clips to put on their websites as needed,” McClure said.
“The awards are perfect for church media teams, youth groups or individuals to showcase their talents,” said Michael Utley, e-business marketing coordinator. “We’ve already seen strong interest from students who have been making digital films as a hobby.
“The possibilities are endless. Participants can enter a film they’ve already produced or create one especially for these awards as long as it fits the stated guidelines.”
For more details, visit www.lifeway.com/emedialink.
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