“The Bloom Film Challenge” Kicks Off April 25; Open to All U.S. College Students
April 14, 2014 – San Francisco – Students of the World, a nonprofit organization that supports a diverse national network of university students and emerging filmmakers who produce media to inspire social change, today announced the Bloom Film Challenge in collaboration with Pivot TV and Silk. University students across the country are invited to enter the challenge where they will have ten days to produce, shoot and edit a two-minute documentary-style short film. The challenge will kick-off when a secret prompt for the films is revealed Friday, April 25.
“The spirit of this competition is to help aspiring filmmakers bloom,” said Students of the World Founder Courtney Spence. “We’re excited to partner with Silk and Pivot TV to support students’ creativity and encourage them to follow their passions.”
Participating students will compete for $3,500 in cash prizes and a chance to see their films air on Pivot, a new TV channel from Participant Media that reaches 45 million homes nationwide. Awards will also be given out in various categories, such as best editing, best cinematography and best soundtrack.
“Students of the World is founded on the idea that Millennials have the creative energy and talent to help the global community in new and meaningful ways,” said Spence. “The Bloom Film Challenge is a great opportunity for these young change makers to show off the power of their visual storytelling skills.”
“Pivot strives to provide a platform that reflects the diverse viewpoints, identities and creative expressions of our audience,” said Kent Rees, EVP of Marketing, Scheduling, and Operations at Pivot. “The Bloom Film challenge is a great opportunity to support Students of the World and showcase the work of students and emerging filmmakers committed to positive social change.”
The film challenge will run Friday, April 25, through Saturday, May 3. Films will be evaluated by a select panel of judges, with the finalist announced Thursday, May 8. The top five finalists will then go head-to-head in a final round of editing and two winners will be chosen for the chance to have their films air on Pivot TV.
Applications are now open. For more info about the film challenge, visit bloomfilmchallenge.com.
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About Students of the World
Students of the World (SOW) was founded in 2000 by Courtney Spence while she was an undergraduate at Duke University. The nonprofit network of university students and emerging filmmakers produces original media content to highlight cause-driven organizations and programs. SOW now has 15 campus chapters and has created media projects for more than 50 causes in 27 countries. SOW is currently focusing its efforts on amplifying causes in communities across the U.S. To learn more, visit www.studentsoftheworld.org.
About Silk
Silk, the company sponsoring the Bloom Film Challenge, is passionate about fostering creativity, encouraging growth and sharing stories of Millennials living their lives in full bloom. Silk has sought to make the world a better place from the start, by creating products that taste better for consumers and are better for the planet.
About Pivot TV
Pivot (Pivot.tv), which launched nationally August 1 is a television network from Participant Media serving passionate Millennials (18-34) with a diverse slate of talent and a mix of original series, acquired programming, films and documentaries. Pivot focuses on entertainment that sparks conversation, inspires change and illuminates issues through engaging content and, through its website TakePart.com, connects audiences to a wealth of content and customizable actions. Pivot is available via traditional Pay TV subscription and integrating a Live and on demand streaming option via its interactive, downloadable Pivot APP. Follow Pivot on Twitter at @pivot_tv and on Facebook at facebook.com/pivottelevision.
For more information on The Bloom Film Challenge, please contact David Cirilli at dave@ddcstrategies.com or 646.727.0063