Hollywood star Hugh Jackman, Bollywood star Anil Kapoor, Kishore Lulla, Rabbi David Rosen and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation Faiths Act Fellows have joined Queen Rania of Jordan, Tony Blair, Jonathan Caplan, Amr Khaled, Jet Li, Wendi Murdoch, Natalie Portman, Nik Powell, June Sarpong and Deepak Verma as judges of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s short film competition.
“Faith Shorts” is a global film competition for 25 year olds and under, aimed to increase understanding between those of different religions. Young people are being asked to make a short film on the topic “Let me show you how my faith inspires me”.
Hugh Jackman is excited about taking part, “I am thrilled to be part of the Faith Shorts film competition. For me, the inner journey is the most important of all, and I am excited to see how film makers all over the world explore this issue. I hear people complain that movies today don’t have anything to say...well this competition should fill that void. Good luck everyone.”
Those who already have access to filming equipment have until 15 May to produce their fully completed film online. And due to high demand, the deadline for entries for the Film Pitch competition has been extended until the 23rd of April for young entrants.
Tony Blair said: “By gaining insights into the lives of young people across the world Faith Shorts has the potential to build bridges across cultural and religious divides.
We have already had an amazing response with interest from around the world and entries from young people in India, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Pakistan, UK, New Zealand, Lebanon, US, Nigeria, Singapore, Canada and the Philippines.
There have been powerful stories sent in of family, loss, overcoming adversity, personal devotion and hope. There have been entries from those without a faith telling us how their different beliefs inspire them - and stories from those who found inspiration in their religion.”
Winning films will be premiered at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in July 2010 – and the3 winners will have the opportunity to introduce their film in person.
Rabbi David Rosen is looking to Faith Shorts to connect young people from different faith traditions in new and powerful ways,
“At the heart of the different religions is the sense of the Transcendent - that life has higher meaning and purpose. When the passion and potential of youth connects with this aspiration and inspiration, there is an overwhelming impetus to improve and ennoble our world. Contemporary technology can now enable young people around the world to express this vision in their diverse traditions and different ways to one another and to society at large, both serving as models and together becoming greater than the sum of their separate parts. This is the wonderful power of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s Faith Shorts competition.”
Randa Kuziez, a Muslim Faiths Act Fellow acting as one of thirty youth ambassadors for the Millennium Development Goals echoes this belief in the power of film to change perspectives and calls on young leaders like herself to take part: "Film is one of the dominant cultural forces of our time, and as young faith leaders, bringing your perspectives into the world of film to share stories of how your faith moves you to action is so empowering, you really are changing the conversation."
The Tony Blair Faith Foundation is working with Deepak Verma from Pukkanasha films on the Faith Shorts project.
