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“Through a Black Lens” Contest Created by American Family Insurance, Invites and Inspires Entrants to Share their Dreams

“Through a Black Lens” video contest offers all entrants a chance to bring their dreams to the big screen at the Annual American Black Film Festival. “Through a Black Lens” allows entrants to go online, register and then upload a video or picture that describes their inspiring story in order to win a chance to see their dream entry turn into a film created and produced by accredited Creative Control’s, Coodie and Chike.

The contest is part of a program developed by American Family Insurance to celebrate and pay homage to African-Americans’ influence and contributions to the film industry. It began during Black History Month in February, when the first of eight short videos from a roundtable discussion about filmmaking, featuring several African-Americans involved in the industry, was released. The videos feature filmmakers, Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozay, actors Harry Lennix and Lamman Rucker and professor Lisa Michelle Payton.

“Through a Black Lens” allow filmmakers, Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozay, to bring one entrant’s dream to life. All entrants are invited to create a short (greater than 30 seconds but less than a minute) video depicting their vision of the American dream and upload it to the contest website. Entrants can also upload a photo and describe the photo to enter. They are then asked to share it with others and encourage them to vote.

The video will be transformed into a short film and the winner will receive a prize package for two, including a trip to the Annual American Black Film Festival in Miami, where the film – and the winner’s dream – will premiere on June 21.

The group discusses candidly the unique characteristics, intricacies and components of black filmmaking.