LAHORE, Aug 28: SoundView Broadcasting, a US broadcaster/distributor of international television channels, in collaboration with consulting/investment firm Green Card Capital has announced the launch of its first annual ‘Heroes of Pakistan’ Short Film Competition, beginning from Sept 1.

This was announced in a press conference on Wednesday addressed by Green Card Capital CEO Abbas Hashmi.

Hashmi said both companies were inviting aspiring filmmakers of all ages from across Pakistan to submit an original video between one and five minutes long before the deadline of Oct 31. Prizes include $1,000 for the first position, $500 second and $250 third in addition to airings on SoundView Broadcasting’s Pakistani channels in the US and around the world as well as production and internship opportunities with SoundView.

Submissions must be made via an official entry form on the Green Card Capital website www.greencardcapital.com.

He said this year’s competition was documentary-based with the theme “No Pain, No Gain”.

Filmmakers must focus on a hero of Pakistani origin they believed was trying to make Pakistan and/or the world a better place, he said, adding a “hero” could be anyone, from an internationally recognised personality to an ordinary person. The tone of the video could be inspiring, humorous, sophisticated or raw, he said.

“What is important is the creator’s perspective on the human struggle and how perseverance shaped their hero,” Hashmi said.

He said the short films could be in any acceptable documentary form, interview, informational, news report and must tell a story. They should be in a high-definition video format and primarily in English and/or Urdu. Every submission must be original with the entire content owned by the applicant and suitable for family audience, he added.

A panel of judges would select the finalists that would be notified on the Green Card Capital website. Following this, the public would be invited to vote for the winners from Dec 1 onwards. Winners would be announced on or around Dec 14, the Green Card Capital CEO concluded.