Bronx Teen?s 71-Second ?Micro-Movie? Wins Reach for the Stars ? Aspiring Filmmakers Contest

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 15, 2012

A lyrical 71-second ?micro-movie,? titled ?Me,? by Sofie Somoroff, a teen from The Bronx, NY, was named top film and winner of the Reach for the Stars ? Aspiring Filmmakers Contest today by OnBuzz? and the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

The top five finalists in a national search for young filmmakers, ages 13 to 17, who created three-minute ?micro-movies? on smart phones, walked the red carpet on Saturday, October 13, 2012, at an awards ceremony as a featured part of this year?s celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Film Society?s New York Film Festival. October is National Bullying Prevention Month and, coincidentally, bullying was a common theme for many of the videos ? three of the award-winning videos focused on this subject.

?Sofie?s submission was only 71 seconds long, but it was incredibly moving, revealing powerful truths about the emotional component of bullying and the internal struggle over identity,? said OnBuzz? CEO Alan Elias. ?OnBuzz seeks to leverage technology and entertainment for social good, and we are proud to be associated with these young filmmakers. We will continue to advance our technology and entertainment platform to provide a positive impact for families.?

The five finalists included Sophia Haywood of Chelmsford, MA, for ?Bullying;? Sam Griffith of Brooklyn, NY, for ?Poke Butt;? Sofie Somoroff, of The Bronx, NY, for ?Me;? Devin Dupre of Houma, LA, for ?True Friends;? and Jackson Shane of Brooklyn, NY, for ?The Debate.? In addition, the judges discovered Malach Campbell, who produced a five-minute video on bullying and will receive an ?Honorary Director?s Choice? award.

Developed by OnBuzz? in cooperation with the Film Society, the Reach for the Stars ? Aspiring Filmmakers Contest was designed to demonstrate the convergence of technology and entertainment, and to highlight and encourage a new form of rapid filmmaking that is being produced by young people with smart phones, tablets and other media devices for distribution via social networks and the Internet.

OnBuzz? is a first-of-its-kind family entertainment social network that links families to one another and to virtuous entertainment and products. The contest is the first in a series of efforts by OnBuzz? to explore the convergence of technology and entertainment. The theme of this initial contest focused on the ways family and friends can connect through mobile devices and social networks to share powerful, uplifting and encouraging entertainment in a buzzworthy way.

Teens ages 13 to 17 nationwide were asked to enter original three-minute short videos shot on a mobile device. The panel of judges then chose the top five finalists based on criteria including creativity and originality, overall quality and appearance of videos, and relevance to the family and connectivity contest theme.

The top five finalist film winners, along with two family members, received a free trip to New York City for the October 13th event, which took place at 4:00 pm in the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center as part of the 50th Anniversary of the New York Film Festival. Each finalist walked the red carpet and premiered their film in front of distinguished guests made up of movie producers, media executives, business leaders and media.

Rose Kuo, Executive Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, said, "Our core mission is to recognize and support new filmmakers and to enhance awareness and accessibility and understanding of the art among a broad and diverse film-going audience. The Film Society is excited to partner with OnBuzz? in our first-ever effort to enable aspiring teen filmmakers to showcase their talent through the convergence of technology and entertainment."

?Technology and entertainment are converging at breakneck speed, dramatically changing the way we communicate and create,? said Elias. ?No group is more in the forefront of this convergence than teenagers, and no platform is more vital to its development than mobile phones with powerful video capability and access to social networks and the Internet. It is critical to understand how this convergence is changing our world and to support it in a positive way.?

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ABOUT OnBuzz?:
OnBuzz? is America?s first family entertainment social network linking families to one another and to virtuous entertainment and products. OnBuzz is the unique convergence of technology and entertainment where the two come full circle and become one.

ABOUT THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER:
Under the leadership of Rose Kuo, Executive Director, and Richard Pen?a, Program Director, the
Film Society of Lincoln Center offers the best in international, classic and cutting-edge independent cinema. The Film Society presents two film festivals that attract global attention: the New York Film Festival, currently planning its 50th edition, and New Directors/New Films which, since its founding in 1972, has been produced in collaboration with MoMA. The Film Society also publishes the award- winning Film Comment Magazine, and for over three decades has given an annual award?now named ?The Chaplin Award??to a major figure in world cinema. Past recipients of this award include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, and Tom Hanks. The Film Society presents a year-round calendar of programming, panels, lectures, educational programs and specialty film releases at its Walter Reade Theater and the new state-of-the-art Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center.