WE HAVE THE WINNERS!

See which five films won huge cash prizes in our $200,000 Filmmaker Competition, including the $100k Grand Jury Prize Watch them all here along with the rest of the 20 Finalists who vied for the prizes.

Click here to see the top 10 Audience Favorites


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Read more at www.focusforwardfilms.com

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FOCUS FORWARD | FILMMAKER COMPETITION

CREATIVE BRIEF

Focus Forward films highlight exceptional people and world-changing ideas that are impacting the course of human development, changing our lives for the better. We are looking for professional quality 3-minute stories about visionaries and thinkers and in some cases everyday folks who have brought a quantum leap to human progress by their efforts and inventions. Your film may encompass anything from jaw-dropping medical advancements to renewable energy breakthroughs; open-source architecture to the development of wireless technologies in Third World countries; computer programming wizardry to sci-fi-worthy robotics; or any other sphere of art and knowledge that inspires you. We’re especially interested in the accomplishments of inventors, engineers, educators, surgeons, scientists, techies, artists, programmers, backyard tinkerers—i.e. anyone making a difference, utilizing their skills and vision to innovate, share their work, and help sow the seeds of a brighter future.

Submitted films must be three minutes in length, suitable for all screens and all audiences. Be sure it is clear in your film what the innovation/invention is (and/or the person responsible for it), as well as what its significant human impact has been. These films can be narrated or purely observational, interview-based or expressionistic; HD, film, animation, and mixed formats are all welcome. Be creative—think cinematically. A selection of Focus Forward films will be distributed and shown all over the world and up to 100 semi-finalists will be featured online at www.focusforwardfilms.com in the fall of 2012. The Jury Prize finalists will be announced in December.

Click the 'Films' tab above to see examples. New films by our award-winning professional filmmakers are now available and will be added regularly.

PRIZING

  • 1st Place (the Grand Prize): $100,000
  • 2nd Place: $50,000
  • 3rd Place: $30,000
  • 4th Place: $10,000
  • 5th Place: $10,000

In addition to the cash prizes the Top 100 Focus Forward Filmmaker Challenge Films will be presented for audience viewing and voting on vimeo.com/focusforwardfilms and www.focusforwardfilms.com in Fall 2012. The Top 10 films according to the number of audience votes will be recognized on the websites as audience choice films.

See official rules

Focus Forward Filmmaker Competition FAQ

Why enter?
THIS IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF ITS KIND. You can win up to $100,000 if your film is judged by us to be the best of the best films submitted. Other prizes include one $50,000 cash prize, one $30,000 cash prize, and two $10,000 cash prizes. And, winning films (and possibly other submissions) will be distributed globally alongside Focus Forward films made by Steve James, Jessica Yu, Morgan Spurlock, Lucy Walker, and other award-winning filmmakers. And if that’s not enough, winners will be flow to the Sundance film Festival in park City Utah in January 2013, where they will be awarded their prize!
Do I have to be a professional filmmaker to enter?
No. But your film needs to be of professional quality similar to the films currently available for viewing on our website. Many of the best and brightest filmmakers in the world will be submitting films for this challenge. We expect entries to be submitted by everyone from major international film festival winners to students from the Berlinale Talent Campus and Sundance Film Institute, and quite frankly, this is your chance to beat them all!
Who can enter?
Anyone. Regardless of age or geography, pending legal rules of eligibility where you live. Persons in the U.S. under the age or 13 must have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter online and receive any cash or travel related prize.
What is the submission window?
The submission window has closed.
Who will judge my video submission?
A panel of professional filmmakers, film industry experts, program partners, and key representatives of CINELAN will review and evaluate submissions. Meet the jury here.
What criteria will the jury members use?
Once accepted technically for length, production quality, etc., the jury will evaluate each three-minute submission on Concept, Story, Craftsmanship, and Impact.
Do I need to shoot my three-minute film with a particular camera?
You can shoot your film with any camera. But films must be delivered in HD.
Can I have an opening title or closing credits?
Because video submissions must begin and end with brief CINELAN and Focus Forward idents (a total of 18 seconds that we will provide if you become a semi-finalist), the full credits must be within the maximum run time of the video. Your submission must be between 2:50 minutes and 3:10 minutes including your credits.
Can my film be an animation, stop-motion animation or have motion graphics?
Yes.
Does my three-minute film have to speak to the Focus Forward concept of invention and innovation?
Yes.
Where and when do I upload my video?
On this site beginning April 23rd, 2012.
What languages may be spoken in my film?
All films must be English-language or subtitled in English.
Can a film have multiple directors or producers?
Yes, but only the person or entity whose name/email appears on the authentication form submitted with the film will be considered the winner.
Does the film have to be non-fiction?
Yes.
How many videos can I submit?
As many as you like.
Do I have to provide written releases for talent and music?
Yes, you must guarantee in writing that you have secured all rights and releases, providing unrestricted use of the material in all media worldwide.
Who owns my film once it is submitted?
You own your film, but you are licensing it to us.
What if I have problems uploading my video?
Underneath the blue upload button on the Submit page you'll see an option to toggle between the Advanced Uploader and the Basic Uploader. Try switching browsers and toggling between the uploader versions until you find a stable combination.
What kind of video files does Vimeo accept?
Make sure you export your video files following our recommended compression settings: https://vimeo.com/help/compression.
Where will my videos live once they have been submitted?
Soon after you complete the submission process, your videos will appear under your Vimeo account. They will be automatically set to private, so that only you and our judges can see them, and must remain this way for the duration of the contest.

This FAQ does not replace the official rules which can be found here. In the event of any discrepancies between this FAQ and/or this or other websites and the official rules the official rules shall prevail.