$35,000 in Prizes Awarded to Top Videos Profiling
Entrepreneurs

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Quick Links:
• Overview
• FAQ
• Terms and Conditions
• Special Thanks

Overview

Everyone knows the statistics – half the world’s population, over 3 billion people, live on less than two dollars a day. The images out of Africa, Latin America, Asia, and even here in the United States, show the ravages of poverty - starving children with bloated bellies; dusty huts without electricity or clean water; countryside blighted by drought and war. These images of poverty are stark, evocative, powerful, and persistent.

But these pictures are only part of the reality. They focus on the problem – without offering a solution. Obscured by these despairing images of poverty, there exist people, entrepreneurs, role models, who are changing their personal stories and the lives of their families, neighbors, villages, and countries. These ordinary women and men are seizing opportunity, starting businesses, and are making a difference locally and globally.

Cinéma Prospérité, a film competition sponsored by the Social Equity Venture Fund, strives to change the dialogue by infusing the world’s imagination with new imagery, imagery that focuses on the solution. We invite you to take an active role in reshaping how people view other parts of the world, and even their own backyard.

At SEVEN, we believe there exists an opportunity to change the terms of discourse surrounding poverty, to change the assumptions and behaviors of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, aid professionals, academics, and business leaders by exposing them to these successful models of enterprise-based development. We believe that entrepreneurs who are starting and running for-profit businesses in ethical ways –serving customers, treating and paying workers well, generating returns for investors, and achieving all these things without negatively impacting future generations or damaging the environment – should be celebrated.

With this goal in mind, SEVEN is funding the Cinéma Prospérité competition. Through it, we are inviting amateur and professional filmmakers around the globe to help us tell the stories about real people who understand that ending global poverty is serious business.

Cinéma Prospérité: FAQ

What are the guidelines for the video?
Cinéma Prospérité is open for submissions. This competition is actively seeking short films (2-5 minutes) that use the power of film to expand our experience and shape our understanding of the world around us. Videos should be suitable to be posted online in forums such as MySpace TV, YouTube, etc. The video should use the best film techniques to showcase the story of an entrepreneur – to show the story of what odds this person has overcome, what impact they have had on the world, and how they’ve managed to achieve their goals. Profiled entrepreneurs should be engaging in for-profit, sustainable and ethical business practices.

Who can participate?
Anyone can participate. The competition is not limited to filmmakers of a certain age, location, or set of professional qualifications. We encourage anyone with an enterprise-based solution to poverty story to tell, and an interest in the medium of film to apply. We especially encourage film students and independent filmmakers; we also encourage collaborations between filmmakers and non-traditional partners: business people, academics, and others. We seek global perspectives, and especially welcome films profiling entrepreneurs in emerging markets by filmmakers in emerging markets. But ultimately, we seek a compelling story about a for-profit entrepreneur told in a powerful way.

What is the prize?
A grand prize of $20,000 will be awarded to the top-ranked video: $10,000 to the filmmaker, and $10,000 to the profiled entrepreneur. A second prize of $10,000 ($5,000 to the filmmaker and $5,000 to the profiled entrepreneur), and a third prize of $5,000 ($2,500 to the filmmaker and $2,500 to the profiled entrepreneur) will also be awarded.

How are videos judged?
The online Cinéma Prospérité community will be able to view and judge the videos; the online community will vote and select five finalists. To become a member of the online community, you must register. An expert jury including experts in entertainment, business, and economic development will award the final prizes.

What is the timeline?
Submissions will be accepted for four months – from May 15 to September 15, 2008. Judging will happen online from September 15, 2008 – September 31, 2008. The winning videos will be announced on October 7, 2008.

Terms and Conditions

The SEVEN Fund has sole and absolute discretion to determine which submissions, if any, merit an award. The SEVEN Fund reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to change, modify, extend or reduce the terms and conditions of, or to suspend or terminate, the competition without prior notice. SEVEN will endeavor to inform participants of any such change, modification, extension, reduction, suspension or termination, as the case may be, by any means deemed appropriate by SEVEN in its sole and absolute discretion. SEVEN further reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to nullify and/or cancel any part or all of the competition for any reason, including but not limited to: if it appears that any fraud or malfunctions have occurred in any form whatsoever, or if insufficient entries meriting consideration for an award are submitted. Each participant undertakes to indemnify and keep SEVEN harmless from and against any loss, damage, claims, costs and expenses (including legal fees, court costs and expenses) which may be incurred by or asserted against SEVEN as a result of such participant's participation in the competition. SEVEN is not responsible for the content of any videos. Additional terms and conditions may be posted on SEVEN’s website: www.sevenfund.org, and any such terms and conditions are expressly incorporated herein.

Special Thanks

The SEVEN Fund wishes to thank David George and KickApps for their generous contribution of the KickApps software for the Cinéma Prospérité competition.