Kindnessgirl

“Oh yes, we just got back from Sundance, it was lovely and the film did well too….”  These are the exchanges in my head when I day dream. We all remember this little period of delusion I had a couple years back. I love film, it feels like the best church…it’s an image, there is music, emotion, a message. Sometimes it’s complicated and deep, other times light and joyous, all of it speaks to my soul. Part of me can’t deny my desire to create it, craft it, enter it.

So then this crosses my path:

Birth Matters Virginia (a non-profit organization that works to improve the culture of birth) is sponsoring a documentary contest with celebrity filmmaker judges and cash prizes of $1000, $500, and $100.

We’re looking for short (4-7 minutes) documentary-style films that will educate women about the choices they have surrounding birth. We live in a culture where epidurals, inductions, and c-sections are common place events, and where women may not know they they have a say in what interventions take place when they give birth.

You don’t have to be a parent or have any experience with birth in order to enter. You just have to have a curious mind and an ability to research birth in America with an open mind and an eye toward exposing audiences to new ways of thinking about birth. Entering will make you eligible for the $1000 first-place prize and could also expose your work to internationally acclaimed filmmakers and documentary producers Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein.

The deadline for entering the contest is Mother’s Day, May 10, 2009. Everything you need to know about the contest can be found here: http://www.birthmattersva.org/videocontest.html

You can also join our Facebook group to get updates about the contest and exchange ideas with other participants at
http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?gid=73753459808#/group.php?gid=7375345988.

And if you have questions, email Sarah at Richmond@birthmattersva.org

And I’m part of the group of women that came up with this very brilliant idea- except I wasn’t there that night, the night when all of this was discussed and decided. Isn’t it screaming for me to do it, to try, to make dreams come true with a 7 minute video that surely will go on to Sundance? I know, I know.  So now I’m mildly tortured because I can’t enter but you can! And your friends can! And other dreamer wanna be indy film people can! Consider this your personal invitation to the rest of your exciting creative life…and if you are still unsure, will you at least pass this on? This thing is gonna be big, I can feel it and you could be the person that was there from the start. We are a Youtube generation, anything can happen.

Go film friends and dreamers, I’ll live vicariously through you until my moment comes….at a minimum, link this for me, will ya?  We need the power of every man, the grass roots, the true wisdom of a gathered people hoping for change.

Feel free to e-mail me if you would like more information. Patience@kindnessgirl.com