Film Your Issue is a national issue film contest featuring 30 to 60-second films by U.S. residents from the ages of 18 to 26. Spearheaded by Heathcliff Rothman, in partnership with The American Democracy Project, the contest had its first "beta" round in 2005.

In 2006, the contest kicked off its expanded vision. Thirty-five semi-finalists were named by the competition, and five winners were selected through a combination of a jury including Walter Cronkite

Walter Cronkite

Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...

, Brian Williams

Brian Williams

Brian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...

, then Senator Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

, George Clooney

George Clooney

George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...

, and others.

All semi-finalists are shown on MSN Video

MSN Video

MSN Video is an Australian video streaming service from ninemsn as well as a United Kingdom internet television service from MSN. It was rebranded on March 11, 2010....

, and the 5 winners are shown on MTVu

MtvU

mtvU is a division of Viacom's MTV Networks which produces a 24-hour television channel that is available on more than 750 college and university campuses across the United States, as well as several digital cable packages...

. One of the winners receives an internship at The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...

.

External links

• Film Your Issue site
• Video interview of HeathCliff Rothman by Zadi Diaz of EPIC FU, weekly web show that covers online pop culture (September 16, 2008)