AUSTIN, Texas -- “Including Samuel” won best feature, “Girls of Daraja” won best short, and “EcoViva: An Introduction” won best public service announcement at the 2010 Lights Camera Film Festival, a showcase and fundraiser for nonprofit and cause-related films in Austin, Texas, which concluded Saturday, July 31, after three screenings on consecutive days.
The nonprofit behind the best feature selection, Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, will be awarded $1,000 and the nonprofits behind the best PSA, EcoViva, and best short, Daraja Academy will each be awarded $500.
The winning feature-length film, “Including Samuel,” was submitted by the Institute on Disability and filmmaker Dan Habib. The film documents one family’s efforts to include a child with cerebral palsy in every facet of their lives.
“Girls of Daraja,” submitted by the Daraja Academy and director Barbara Rick, one best short film for its portrayal of the Daraja Academy's work to improve education opportunities for girls in Kenya.
Director Spencer Stoner won best PSA for his film “EcoViva: An Introduction,” which promotes nonprofit EcoViva's efforts to help community organizations in El Salvador.
“I’m shocked and surprised and delighted,” said Stoner, after the winning films were announced on Saturday at the Space 12 community center in Austin.
He said his film is a reflection of his belief in the EcoViva program, which works to build peace and fight poverty in post-civil war El Salvador.
“We saw the difference [EcoViva] made in people, he said. “I was totally taken aback by the successes of the program.”
This year’s film festival showcased 33 finalists chosen from 235 entries submitted from around the world. Seven of the 33 official selections screened at the event were films submitted by organizations from Austin and Central Texas, including the Capitol Area Food Bank, Octopus Club and Austin Pets Alive.
Well-known nonprofits, such as Oxfam and the Livestrong foundation, were also finalists. For a complete list of the finalists, please visit the Lights Camera Help Official Selections page.
“We were really happy with this year’s festival,” said David Neff, creator and co-founder of Lights Camera Help. “We doubled our number of entries, and the filmmaking keeps getting better and better.”
Judging was based on the quality of the film’s cinematography and sound, and most importantly, the clarity of the message or call to action. The judges were Victor Diaz, News8’s film reporter; Armando Rayo, vice president of engagement at Cultural Strategies Inc.; and Jill Chamberlain, a professional screenwriter and director of the Screenplay Workshop.
“It was very difficult— all of the films dealt with such a variety of causes,” said Chamberlain. “I think all of them were very passionately made. In particular, the PSA category was very difficult [to judge].”
Lights Camera Help is a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit with the mission to encourage other nonprofit and cause-driven organizations to use film and video to share their stories. In addition to the festival, the organization does this through educational programming and a volunteer match program that pairs filmmakers with nonprofits to make great films.
The nonprofit behind the best feature selection, Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, will be awarded $1,000 and the nonprofits behind the best PSA, EcoViva, and best short, Daraja Academy will each be awarded $500.
The winning feature-length film, “Including Samuel,” was submitted by the Institute on Disability and filmmaker Dan Habib. The film documents one family’s efforts to include a child with cerebral palsy in every facet of their lives.
“Girls of Daraja,” submitted by the Daraja Academy and director Barbara Rick, one best short film for its portrayal of the Daraja Academy's work to improve education opportunities for girls in Kenya.
Director Spencer Stoner won best PSA for his film “EcoViva: An Introduction,” which promotes nonprofit EcoViva's efforts to help community organizations in El Salvador.
“I’m shocked and surprised and delighted,” said Stoner, after the winning films were announced on Saturday at the Space 12 community center in Austin.
He said his film is a reflection of his belief in the EcoViva program, which works to build peace and fight poverty in post-civil war El Salvador.
“We saw the difference [EcoViva] made in people, he said. “I was totally taken aback by the successes of the program.”
This year’s film festival showcased 33 finalists chosen from 235 entries submitted from around the world. Seven of the 33 official selections screened at the event were films submitted by organizations from Austin and Central Texas, including the Capitol Area Food Bank, Octopus Club and Austin Pets Alive.
Well-known nonprofits, such as Oxfam and the Livestrong foundation, were also finalists. For a complete list of the finalists, please visit the Lights Camera Help Official Selections page.
“We were really happy with this year’s festival,” said David Neff, creator and co-founder of Lights Camera Help. “We doubled our number of entries, and the filmmaking keeps getting better and better.”
Judging was based on the quality of the film’s cinematography and sound, and most importantly, the clarity of the message or call to action. The judges were Victor Diaz, News8’s film reporter; Armando Rayo, vice president of engagement at Cultural Strategies Inc.; and Jill Chamberlain, a professional screenwriter and director of the Screenplay Workshop.
“It was very difficult— all of the films dealt with such a variety of causes,” said Chamberlain. “I think all of them were very passionately made. In particular, the PSA category was very difficult [to judge].”
Lights Camera Help is a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit with the mission to encourage other nonprofit and cause-driven organizations to use film and video to share their stories. In addition to the festival, the organization does this through educational programming and a volunteer match program that pairs filmmakers with nonprofits to make great films.