International Video Contest on Topic of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
While age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50 and affects 25-30 million people in the western world, the risks and strategies to prevent or slow its advance are little known and understood. AMD is also often a cause of clinical depression and has a severe impact on quality of life for those who are diagnosed.
To close that gap in understanding and perception, the AMD Alliance International is hosting a video contest. Everyone is invited to create and submit videos of no longer than 3 minutes that will communicate in the most creative and visually interesting ways, the impact of AMD.
The video submissions should dramatize the societal, psychological and physiological effects of AMD. Our goal is to bring awareness to this condition and encourage regular eye exams to limit needless sight loss. The video might include things like What is AMD? How many people does it affect? What is it like to have AMD? What do people with AMD see, and how is their vision impaired? How does AMD affect caregivers, family members, patients and society at large? How can people prevent or stop vision loss from this challenging condition. What should everyone know about macular degeneration? Why should people have regular eye exams? How can AMD Alliance International help? Who can people contact for more information?
Videos will be judged on originality, creativity, effectiveness, production quality and YouTube hits. Three winners will be selected. From the three finalists, a Grand Prize winner will be awarded $10,000 US dollars. Second place will receive $2,000 and third place will receive $1,000.
The contest, which launches with the start of AMD Week, will open on September 19, 2009 and close on February 28, 2010. Winners will be announced on March 31, 2010.
The contest will be judged by a panel of experts including professional film Producer/Director Doug Metzger; Two Horns Entertainment Group and Black Dog Films President and CEO, Bill Kunkel; and Hollywood Producer/Screenplay Writer John Wilder.
AMD Alliance International
1929 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 3E8
E-Mail: info@amdalliance.org
Tel: +1-416-486-2500 extension 7505
Fax: +1-416-486-8574
Toll-Free Hotline:
1-877-AMD-7171 (U.S./Canada)
