For Release: Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Contest is open to high school and college students across the U.S. and submissions will be accepted through April 15, 2020
Washington, DC — The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today announced the launch of the 2019 Youth Against Gun Violence Scholarship Film Contest. The national competition, which is now accepting video/film entries from young filmmakers across America, seeks to amplify the voices of teens and young adults facing the reality of gun violence and the growing movement among young people to reduce gun death and injury.
“The tragic reality of gun violence in American is that no one is spared,” states VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann. “We’re looking for young people to share their views through video or film, whether they’ve been directly impacted by gun violence, know someone who has been, or simply want to make their voices heard.”
Young people are among those most impacted by gun violence in the United States. In 2017, 3,443 children and teens died from gunfire in suicides, homicides, and unintentional deaths. That same year, more than 18,000 Americans under the age of 20 were injured by guns.
The contest, open to high school and college students ages 14 and older, will accept submissions until April 15, 2020 through the VPC’s contest website. Video/film entries should be no more than five minutes in length. A panel of judges will evaluate the submissions and announce a winner on May 15, 2020.
The winning entry will be judged on content detailing the negative effects of firearms violence on youth and/or the positive actions youth are taking to reduce gun death and injury. Innovativeness, originality, and overall production quality and aesthetics will also be factors in choosing the winners.
The first-place winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The second-place winner will receive a $750 scholarship, and the third-place winner will receive a $500 scholarship.
For full contest details and rules, visit the VPC’s contest website at http://vpc.org/contest/.
The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
