Student peace and PSA video contest offers $900 in prizes

Hawai‘i public and private school students in grades 4 to 12 are invited to compete in a video competition for prizes sponsored by the Rotary Club of Honolulu that will be awarded at the May 2007 Hawai‘i Student Film Festival.

First and second place prizes of $500 and $150 will go to the best five minute videos on the theme “Step back, take a breath and bring peace into your life.” A first place prize of $250 will also be awarded for the best 25-second public service announcement video.

“With the violence in schools and elsewhere we see in the national news,” said Rob Hale, Rotary president, “we hope that this competition will direct some of Hawaii students’ great youthful energy to encourage more tranquility, fairness and hope in their own lives and the lives of students and others that see the winning films.”

Robert Olague, president of the HSFF, said he was pleased that Rotary Club of Honolulu came up with the idea for the competition. “It will become a special part of the Hawaii Student Film Festival,” he said. Students in public, private and charter schools, home-schooled students and even those in after-school programs are eligible to participate Olague said.

The call for entries will be in January, winners will be selected by April 30 and announced at the Hawai‘i Student Film Festival in May. For additional information and to receive a call for entry via email, send a note to Olague at hstv@flex.com with the subject “2007 student peace video competition.”