At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, brands showed their dedication to cinematography by presenting their own projects or announcing their future contributions to the field. While Honda was premiering its eighth film from the ‘Dream The Impossible’ series, Puma stepped out launching its PUMA.Creative Impact Award from the set of filmmaking initiatives announced last fall. This is an annual competition, which is designed to highlight documental projects, which have made (or are making) the most significant impact in the world.
Announced in September 2010, the set of PUMA.Creative awards is a joint initiative between Puma and Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation. From January 21 through April l1, anyone including filmmakers, distributors, film festivals, partner organizations, film critics and journalists can submit a video which meets the award requirements for a chance to win a prize of €50,000 to support the creative team behind the documentary and encourage them to move forth. The participants will be also asked to provide data demonstrating evidence of the film’s social impact as well as additional data and verifications in case their entry is shortlisted.
“With a financial reward that encourages best practice in the filmmaking community, the aim of the PUMA.Creative Impact Award is to draw attention to the finest creative, social justice, peace and environmental filmmaking in the world,” said Jess Search, CEO, Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation.
The grand winner will be selected by a judging panel, which includes Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, director of the well-known film ‘Super Size Me’ Morgan Spurlock, director of the Ford Foundation Social Justice Media Initiative Orlando Bagwell, and musician and activist Emmanuel Jal. The PUMA.Creative Impact Award will be given in London in October at the annual PUMA.Creative and Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation Gala and Awards Ceremony.
“As individuals and as organizations, we are faced with some serious challenges today such as ongoing conflict, climate change, loss of biodiversity. None of these issues will solve themselves without intervention,” says Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of Puma. “We, at Puma, have chosen to intervene through film because it is the most powerful medium to reach mass audiences and influence opinion formers and will contribute to leaving a better world for generations to come.”
Now, there’s also PUMA.Creative Catalyst Award running, offering 40 awards annually of up to €5,000 each to provide resources in the early stages of documentary projects. The submissions for this award are accepted through March 2.
PUMA CATALYST from Good Screenings on Vimeo.