A sustainability film challenge – THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY – launches today for New Zealanders up to 20 years of age.
The project involves both TVNZ and Māori Television and is a partnership between Connected Media, The Enviroschools Foundation and the Global Education Centre.
On the project website at www.theoutlookforsomeday.net, young New Zealanders are encouraged to “make a short film about how you see the future unfolding. Look at your world through a lens of sustainability. Give your personal take on what matters to you, focused on the future.”
THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY will be launched today at Māori Television. Anyone born in 1987 or later can enter a film, which can be made individually or by a team. It can be a drama, documentary, animation, music video, advertisement for the planet – any genre at all. It must be no longer than 5 minutes and it must be submitted by 21 September 2007.
“We want young people to take the initiative. It’s about letting them take a leadership role and communicate the sustainability issues we all need to address,” said David Jacobs, Director of Connected Media, a charitable trust whose mission is to promote sustainability through media. “We urgently need to have a national conversation around issues of sustainability and our approach to the planet. This film challenge is an opportunity for young people to participate in that conversation.”
All films entered in THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY will be screened at www.theoutlookforsomeday.net and on the Just Focus youth website at www.justfocus.org.nz.
Connected Media is also making a primetime documentary about THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY for Māori Television, featuring some of the winning films and film-makers.
On their entry forms the film-makers will nominate New Zealanders who they would like to watch their films. They might be celebrities, sports heroes, politicians, businesspeople – anyone who the film-makers choose to nominate.
Selected film-makers will meet and show their films to their nominated viewers in the documentary for Māori Television. “Māori Television supports and promotes the talents and creative resources of New Zealanders and in particular of the independent film and television industry and it is especially important for us to nurture our young film makers,” said General Manager of Programming for Māori Television, Larry Parr. “With this project, we are working with other organisations to enhance the opportunities available for that emerging talent. We also welcome the opportunity to work with our rangatahi on a kaupapa as important as the environment.”
Online participation will be part of the project, including a popular vote for the Best Winning Film. There will also be prizes, including a laptop computer for each of the 20 winning films.
All entry details are online at www.theoutlookforsomeday.net. There is also an online Toolkit to help entrants to plan and make their films.
Ends