“Your Voice, Your Choice” Documentary Competition Rules and Guidelines

1. Entries may be submitted through our website starting on Monday, September 16, 2013. The deadline for submissions is 11:59pm EST on Sunday, November 10, 2013.
2. All entries must be submitted via the submit form. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube as “unlisted” prior to completing the online form. Once a video is accepted, contestants will receive notification via email and be expected to complete a talent release form in order to be considered for a contest prize.
3. There is no entry fee.
4. All entries must be produced as a documentary or short film.
5. Each entry must relate to the theme “Better Beverage Choices”.
6. The length of each Documentary should not exceed 10 minutes (not including the 10 second slate, see below).
7. All students in Howard County in grades 9-12 are eligible to enter. Group efforts/collaborations will be accepted for this competition as well as individual efforts. Entries may, but are not required to be submitted in affiliation with a school or organization.
8. All entries should begin with a 10 second full-screen slate (or “title screen”) that includes the following information:
   1. Team Name/Organization or School Name (If applicable)
   2. Title of entry
   3. Total running time (excluding the 10 second slate)
9. All entries must be uploaded to YouTube and links submitted via http://yvyc.hocounsweetened.org/.
10. As a condition of consideration, all work submitted must be original. Limited use of copyrighted material will be permitted in the entry so long as it is a lawful or “fair” use, and so long as such use does not overwhelm the contribution of the student(s).
11. No professional assistance is allowed. Adults may appear in the film and may assist with production but the student filmmaker must do all editing and post production work.
12. Children of employees of the Horizon Foundation or Board of Trustees are not eligible to participate in this competition.
13. The judges’ decision is final. Judges’ decision will be based on the Judging Rubric.
14. Awards will be presented as follows:
    

    Grand Prize	$10,000 for Team (3 or more) OR $3,000 for Individual
    Second Place	$3,000 for Team (3 or more) OR $1,500 for Individual
    People’s Choice	$1,000 for Team (3 or more) OR $1,000 for Individual

    *A total of three prizes will be awarded. The cash amount varies depending on whether the prize is awarded to a team entry (3 or more) or an individual entry.

15. Winners of cash prizes must provide a W-9 for the Internal Revenue Service and will be responsible for any taxes associated with the prizes. Failure to do so will result in forfeiting the prize. The Horizon Foundation reserves the right not to award all prizes in all categories.
16. Content that stigmatizes individuals for being overweight or obese are prohibited.
17. The Horizon Foundation is not responsible for any films that are lost, damaged, or that do not upload properly.
    1. Entrants agree to be bound by the official contest rules and decisions of the judges.
    2. By submitting an entry, entrants (i) represent that their entries constitute original works of creativity that do not violate the property of any other person, and, (ii) grant The Horizon Foundation the right to exhibit, distribute, televise, and otherwise use the entries in various media.
    3. All entries become the property of The Horizon Foundation.
    4. Winners will be notified on Wednesday, December 11, 2013.

Please contact Rosimar Melendez, Senior Program Officer, at 443-766-1213 for questions or more information.