DENVER OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND DENVER FILM SOCIETY LAUNCH
CINEMOCRACY FILM FESTIVAL
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
DENVER 2008 HOST COMMITTEE Denver, CO - Feb. 28, 2008 - Building upon the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee's Call to Democracy effort, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) and Denver Film Society (DFS), producers of the
Starz Denver Film Festival, are pleased to announce the creation and launch of the
Cinemocracy Film Festival, an open source film festival to coincide with the 2008 Democratic National Convention. As an official event of the Host Committee,
Cinemocracy calls for open participation in the political process.
Info at a Glance: - 2008
Cinemocracy Film Festival addresses the topic of "How do you define Democracy?"
- Top-ranked films will be publicly screened in Denver during the week of the 2008 Democratic National Convention (August 25-28).
- For submission guidelines and official rules, visit
www.denverfilm.org/cinemocracy.
During a year of monumental change, the Host Committee, DOCA and DFS invite citizens of the world to speak out and share ideas on what democracy is (or isn't) through the creation of short films. All films submitted via free upload will be judged by the online public and the top 10 will be screened at a free public event in Denver during the week of Aug. 25-28. Additionally, the winning film will be screened as part of the official program of the 31st
Starz Denver Film Festival (November 13-23). The film festival is one of many events planned that underscore the Host Committee's Call to Democracy efforts, encouraging public engagement and civic awareness in the democratic process.
Submitted films can be up to five minutes long and can be uploaded from March 1 through July 15 to
www.denverfilm.org/cinemocracy. Voting will remain open until Aug. 1.
"Denver is excited to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention and we encourage all people to make their voices heard during that time by participating in this unique project," said Mayor John Hickenlooper. Mayor Hickenlooper has already answered the call and created his own short film,
Many People, One Voice, which is available for viewing at
www.denverfilm.org/cinemocracy.
"Broad civic participation is an important part of the Convention coming to Denver," stated Elbra Wedgeworth, President/Chair of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee. "Cinemocracy is one way for people who are not directly involved in the Convention to participate and share their voice and vision about democracy."
The 2008
Cinemocracy Film Festival is the first of an annual open source film festival to be hosted by the Denver Film Society in subsequent years. The 2008 Democratic National Convention will take place Aug. 25-28 at Denver's Pepsi Center, and is expected to bring 35,000 visitors to the Mile High City, including 15,000 members of the national and international media. In addition to showcasing Denver and the New West to audiences around the globe, estimates indicate Denver will realize $160 million to $200 million in economic benefits. |