THE EMPOWER WOMEN FILM COMPETITION
The Middle East Women’s Leadership Network (MEWLN) and the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) are pleased to announce the EMPOWER WOMEN Film Competition. The goal of the competition is to challenge women filmmakers around the world to write scripts and then produce short films that showcase tolerance in the workplace that leads to innovation and entrepreneurship in communities. Special attention should be given to the rights of religious minorities, displaced and/or disabled communities.
A growing number of people around the world report having experienced or witnessed religious discrimination in their workplaces. This is not surprising given that most business leaders and managers receive little to no education about the business significance of religious liberty, religious diversity and religious inclusion. Sadly, businesses fail to build practices and protocols that reflect appropriate human rights, resulting in significant costs ranging from lower employee morale and litigation, which limit the growth potential of economies around the globe.
The winning scripts will receive coaching to produce their films. Later, the winning films will screen before world-class CEOs and leaders at the Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awards before the opening of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The grand prize winner of the film competition will receive a cash prize and a trip to present her work at the awards.
The 1-to-3 minute films should be artful and compelling explorations of the impact of freedom of belief and expression in the workplace and community, and how this helps empower religious minorities, marginalized and/or disabled communities. Filmmakers may choose to create short narratives of real-life business leaders who encourage people to bring their whole self to work.
Whether inspired by real-life events or fictional, animated, or experimental, the films should thoughtfully seek to affirm that diversity and freedom of belief are good for business. This Film Competition, will be held at the start of the Paralympic Games.
RUNTIME
Shorts: From 1 to 3 minutes
ACCEPTED GENRES
Documentaries, Narratives, Animation, Experimental, Montage.
PLACE OF ORIGIN
Films may developed from around the world.
We look forward to hearing from you! Please submit your script or ideas to Shirin Taber at shirin@visualstory.org
