Democracy Video Challenge
Encyclopedia
The Democracy Video Challenge is an annual film contest featuring films under three minutes in length that complete the phrase “Democracy is…” It is part of a broader initiative called “Democracy is…” that seeks to use creative mediums to start a global discussion about the meaning of democracy
. The contests use social media
to foster that dialogue among people around the world.
The 2009 Video Challenge was first announced on September 15, 2008, International Day of Democracy
. Richard Engel, NBC News
chief foreign correspondent served as master of ceremonies for both the 2009 and 2010 contest launches. Since its launch, more than 1,600 people from 111 countries have entered the contest, while nearly 3.5 million people have been engaged online.
A jury selects 18 finalists – three videos from each of the six geographic regions. The winners are then selected during a global online vote on YouTube
. The six winning filmmakers receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., Hollywood and New York City to meet with professionals from entertainment, government, media and civil society.
contest was conducted. The contest received 1,400 entries with the winner determined by the entry with the greatest number of re-tweets. The winner received a Flip HD video camera
.
On July 1, 2010 the first Democracy Photo Challenge was announced. Like the other challenges, participants will be asked to submit photos that complete the phrase “Democracy is…” The contest entry period is slated to run July 7–28, 2010. The winners announced on the United Nations
’ International Day of Democracy
, September 15, 2010. The winning photographs exhibited at the UN headquarters in New York.
Democracy Photo Challenge jury co-chairs include:
Additional partners in the Democracy Photo Challenge include:
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. The contests use social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
to foster that dialogue among people around the world.
The 2009 Video Challenge was first announced on September 15, 2008, International Day of Democracy
International Day of Democracy
In 2007 the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe 15 September as the International Day of Democracy and invited all member states and organizations to commemorate the day in an appropriate manner that contributes to raising public awareness....
. Richard Engel, NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
chief foreign correspondent served as master of ceremonies for both the 2009 and 2010 contest launches. Since its launch, more than 1,600 people from 111 countries have entered the contest, while nearly 3.5 million people have been engaged online.
Process
Each year the Challenge honors one winner from each of six regions: Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Near East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere.A jury selects 18 finalists – three videos from each of the six geographic regions. The winners are then selected during a global online vote on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The six winning filmmakers receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., Hollywood and New York City to meet with professionals from entertainment, government, media and civil society.
Jury
Years jurors participated are in parentheses. Jury co-chairs are noted with an asterisk.- Michael AptedMichael AptedMichael David Apted, CMG is an English director, producer, writer and actor. He is one of the most prolific British film directors of his generation but is best known for his work on the Up Series of documentaries and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.On 29 June 2003 he was elected...
, President, Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(2009)* - Hernando de Soto, President, Institute for Liberty and DemocracyInstitute for Liberty and DemocracyThe Institute for Liberty and Democracy is a Lima-based think tank devoted to the promotion of property rights in developing countries...
(2009, 2010)* - Mitch BainwolMitch BainwolMitch Bainwol has been the chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America since 2003, succeeding Hilary Rosen. Prior to filling this position, he worked for 25 years in politics and federal policy-making. He and his wife Susan are parents of three children.-Early life and...
, Chairman & CEO, Recording Industry Association of AmericaRecording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(2010) - Michael Blieden, Member, Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(2009) - Charles BurnettCharles BurnettCharles Burnett may refer to:*Charles Burnett , American film director*Charles Burnett , Scottish Officer of Arms*Charles Burnett , Royal Air Force officer and Australian Chief of the Air Staff...
, Member, Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(2009) - Mary Schmidt CampbellMary Schmidt CampbellMary Schmidt Campbell, B.A., M.A., PH.D.; HON.: D.F.A., PH.D., Dean, Tisch School of the Arts; Associate Provost for the ArtsMary Schmidt Campbell was appointed Dean of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University in 1991 and Associate Provost for the Arts in December 2004.Campbell is also...
, Dean, New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
Tisch School of the ArtsTisch School of the ArtsTisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
(2009, 2010) - Kendra Carter, Director Diversity Talent Initiatives and Executive Lead on the Comedy Short Cuts Film Festival, NBC UniversalNBC UniversalNBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
(2010) - Jay ChandrasekharJay ChandrasekharJayanth Jambulingam "Jay" Chandrasekhar is a Tamil American actor, comedian, writer, and film director with the comedy team Broken Lizard.-Life and career:...
, Member, Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(2009) - Tsering Choden, 2009 Democracy Video Challenge winner from South and Central Asia (2010)
- Jennifer Corriero, Executive Director and Co-Founder, TakingITGlobalTakingITGlobalTakingITGlobal, which is also known as TIG, is a charitable non-governmental organization focusing on global issues by promoting awareness and engagement among global youth. It was founded in 1999 in Toronto, Canada by Jennifer Corriero and Michael Furdyk, who are the Executive Director and...
(2009, 2010) - Lorne W. Craner, President, International Republican InstituteInternational Republican InstituteFounded in 1983, the International Republican Institute is an organization, funded by the United States government, that conducts international political programs, sometimes labeled 'democratization programs'....
(2009, 2010) - Richard Engel, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC NewsNBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
(2009, 2010) - Lesli Linka Glatter, Member, Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(2009) - Dan GlickmanDan GlickmanDaniel Robert "Dan" Glickman is an American businessman and politician. He served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1995 until 2001, prior to which he represented the Fourth Congressional District of Kansas as a Democrat in Congress for 18 years. He was Chairman and CEO of the...
, President, Motion Picture Association of AmericaMotion Picture Association of AmericaThe Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
(2009, 2010) - Rodin Hamidi, 2009 Democracy Video Challenge winner from Near East (2010)
- Anna Israel, 2009 Democracy Video Challenge winner from Western Hemisphere (2010)
- Victoria HochbergVictoria HochbergVictoria Greene Hochberg is an American film, television director and writer.She directed episodes of Doogie Howser, M.D., The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, Dr...
, Member, Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(2009) - Norman Hollyn, Associate Professor, University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
School of Cinematic Arts (2009) - Jeremy KaganJeremy KaganJeremy Paul Kagan is an American film and television director, screenwriter and television producer.-Early life:Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Kagan received his B.A...
, Professor, University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
School of Cinematic Arts (2009) - Rob Lieberman, Member, Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(2009) - Aissa Peñafiel, 2009 Democracy Video Challenge winner from East Asia and Pacific (2010)
- Gina Prince-BythewoodGina Prince-BythewoodGina Prince-Bythewood is an American film director and writer. Her primary credits as a director include the films Disappearing Acts and Love & Basketball, produced by Spike Lee and starring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan, which won her the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.Bythewood...
, Member, Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(2009) - William Reese, Chief Executive Officer, International Youth Foundation (2009, 2010)
- Luke RussertLuke RussertLuke Russert is an American television and radio personality. He has followed in the footsteps of his father, Tim Russert, who was prominent in the television news industry. His mother is Maureen Orth, special correspondent for Vanity Fair. He has co-hosted a sports talk program on XM radio with...
, Special Correspondent, NBC NewsNBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
(2009) - Penelope SpheerisPenelope SpheerisPenelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
, Member, Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(2009) - John Sullivan, Executive Director, Center for International Private EnterpriseCenter for International Private EnterpriseThe Center for International Private Enterprise is one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy and a non-profit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.- About :...
(2009, 2010) - Lukasz Szozda, 2009 Democracy Video Challenge winner from Europe (2010)
- Chansa Tembo, 2009 Democracy Video Challenge winner from Africa (2010)
- Ernest J. Wilson IIIErnest J. Wilson IIIErnest James Wilson III, Ph.D., is an American scholar who is Walter Annenberg Chair in Communication and dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California....
, Dean of Annenberg, University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Annenberg School for Communication & JournalismAnnenberg School for CommunicationThere are two schools named Annenberg School for Communication.*University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism*Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania...
(2010) - Ken Wollack, President, National Democratic Institute (2009, 2010)
2009 Winners
| Name | Film | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| Tsering Choden | Democracy is…A Movement of the People | Nepal / South and Central Asia |
| Rodin Hamidi | The Path | United Arab Emirates / Near East and North Africa |
| Anna Israel | In a Democracy, We are all Parts of the Same Body | Brazil / Western Hemisphere |
| Aissa Peñafiel | Long Live the Fearless Man | Philippines / East Asia and Pacific |
| Lukasz Szozda | Democracy is…Animation | Poland / Europe |
| Chansa Tembo | Democracy is like a smoothie | Zambia / Sub-Saharan Africa |
2010 Winners
| Name | Film | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| Adhyatmika | Democracy is yet to learn. | Indonesia / East Asia and the Pacific |
| Farbod Khoshtinat | ATTN: Mr. Democrat | Iran / Near East and North Africa |
| Joel Marsden | World Vote Now | Spain / Europe |
| Juan Pablo Patiño Arévalo | "Democracy is... the right of life" (War Child). | Colombia / Western Hemisphere |
| Anup Poudel | Democracy is Black | Nepal / South and Central Asia |
| Yared Shumete | Democracy is fair play | Ethiopia / Sub-Saharan Africa |
Spinoffs
In January 2010 a Democracy is… TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
contest was conducted. The contest received 1,400 entries with the winner determined by the entry with the greatest number of re-tweets. The winner received a Flip HD video camera
Flip Video
The Flip Video camera is a tapeless camcorder for digital video created by Pure Digital Technologies, a company bought by Cisco Systems in March 2009...
.
On July 1, 2010 the first Democracy Photo Challenge was announced. Like the other challenges, participants will be asked to submit photos that complete the phrase “Democracy is…” The contest entry period is slated to run July 7–28, 2010. The winners announced on the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
’ International Day of Democracy
International Day of Democracy
In 2007 the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe 15 September as the International Day of Democracy and invited all member states and organizations to commemorate the day in an appropriate manner that contributes to raising public awareness....
, September 15, 2010. The winning photographs exhibited at the UN headquarters in New York.
Democracy Photo Challenge jury co-chairs include:
- Phil BorgesPhil BorgesPhil Borges is a social documentary photographer and filmmaker.For over twenty five years Phil Borges has documented indigenous and tribal cultures around the world. Through his exhibits, books and multimedia projects, he strives to create a heightened understanding of issues faced by people in...
, documentary photographer and founder of the nonprofit Bridges to Understanding - Willis Hartshorn, Ehrenkranz director of the International Center of PhotographyInternational Center of PhotographyThe International Center of Photography is a photography museum, school, and research center in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
- Louie PsihoyosLouie PsihoyosLouis Psihoyos is an American photographer and documentary film director known for his still photography and contributions to National Geographic. Psihoyos, a licensed scuba-diver, has become increasingly concerned with bringing awareness to underwater life...
, Academy Award-winning documentary director (“The CoveThe CoveThe Cove is a 2009 documentary film that analyzes and questions Japan's dolphin hunting culture. It was awarded the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film is a call to action to halt mass dolphin kills, change Japanese fishing practices, and to inform and educate the public about the...
”), photographer and executive director of the Oceanic Preservation Society
Partners
- Center for International Private EnterpriseCenter for International Private EnterpriseThe Center for International Private Enterprise is one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy and a non-profit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.- About :...
- International Republican InstituteInternational Republican InstituteFounded in 1983, the International Republican Institute is an organization, funded by the United States government, that conducts international political programs, sometimes labeled 'democratization programs'....
- International Youth Foundation
- Motion Picture Association of AmericaMotion Picture Association of AmericaThe Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
- National Democratic Institute
- NBC UniversalNBC UniversalNBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
- New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
Tisch School of the ArtsTisch School of the ArtsTisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University .... - Recording Industry Association of AmericaRecording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
- TakingITGlobalTakingITGlobalTakingITGlobal, which is also known as TIG, is a charitable non-governmental organization focusing on global issues by promoting awareness and engagement among global youth. It was founded in 1999 in Toronto, Canada by Jennifer Corriero and Michael Furdyk, who are the Executive Director and...
- University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Annenberg School for Communication & JournalismAnnenberg School for CommunicationThere are two schools named Annenberg School for Communication.*University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism*Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania... - U.S. Department of State
- YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Additional partners in the Democracy Photo Challenge include:
- The Annenberg Space for Photography
- Bridges to Understanding
- Getty ImagesGetty ImagesGetty Images, Inc. is a stock photo agency, based in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is a supplier of stock images for business and consumers with an archive of 80 million still images and illustrations and more than 50,000 hours of stock film footage...
- International Center of PhotographyInternational Center of PhotographyThe International Center of Photography is a photography museum, school, and research center in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
- One Economy CorporationOne Economy CorporationOne Economy Corporation is a Washington, D.C. based, global, nonprofit organization that uses the power of technology to connect underserved, low-income communities around the world to vital online information and resources....
- Picasa Web Albums