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Chevrolet helps independent film makers seize their opportunity

2011-08-05

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Zurich. Chevrolet has co-starred in plenty of movies over the decades, but now the iconic car maker is giving independent film makers an opportunity to see their names on the silver screen. Chevrolet and MOFILM, a global crowd-sourcing community, have brought together independent film makers from around the world at the Wroclaw 'New Horizons' Film Festival to showcase short films and videos made by new and emerging directors.

At the international festival, Keith Rivers and Caleb Buse from Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., beat more than 100 entrants in the latest round of the 2011 Chevrolet and MOFILM award.

"From the classic Corvette featured in the 1960s television series, 'Route 66', to the Camaro's latest leading role in 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,' Chevrolet has played a major role in the history of TV and movies," said Marc Kempe, Chevrolet Europe's Director, Communications. "As Chevy celebrates its centennial in 2011, it continues to help and honor aspiring filmmakers."

Chevrolet and MOFILM invited film makers to submit 30-second entries in two categories. In the first, they were asked to capture the unique spirit of the original Route 66 road trips.

The second challenged them to create a short film that encourages us all to grab any opportunity that presents itself for us to make the most of every day and 'make it happen' ‑ Chevrolet's brand campaign and tagline for Europe in the brand's centennial year.

Brothers Alex and Ben Tedesco from Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., won first prize in the Missed Opportunities category with their film 'Though The Lens', while Keith Rivers and Caleb Buse triumphed in the "Route 66" category. Both teams won $8,000 film bursaries. First prize overall went to Rivers and Buse for their film "How To Film 101 Oregon".

The budding film makers saw their work judged by Polish TV and radio presenter Monika Richardson and managing director of New Horizons Film Festival, Radosław Drabik, as well as a panel of MOFILM industry experts and Chevrolet Europe advertising and PR gurus.

Route 66 MOFILM competitions at events like New Horizons in Wroclaw offer independent movie makers the chance of showcasing their work to TV and film directors and producers, as well as the chance of meeting with global distribution companies.

MOFILM and Chevrolet are creating a video contest with the biggest prize of any crowd-sourcing competition. The winning Route 66 film could run during the telecast of Super Bowl XLVI February 2012.

Since 2009, Chevrolet and MOFILM have collaborated on previous initiatives in the U.S., India and Europe, and Chevrolet's Route 66 marks Chevrolet and MOFILM's first global endeavor.

What's different this time is that MOFILM will be working with scripts submitted, to help guide and encourage the filmmakers to make the best possible Route 66 film from anywhere in the world, capturing the spirit of the open road, and the sheer joy and pleasure of driving.

"Road trips provide stories of adventure and freedom - no matter the road or country," said Joel Ewanick, General Motors global chief marketing officer. "The Chevrolet Route 66 initiative creates a global community for people to express their universal passion for life's journeys. Entries will be shared online and the very best will be aired during the Super Bowl XLVI telecast next February."

During Super Bowl XLV in January, Chevrolet's ad for the Camaro made history as the most-watched television advertisement of all time. An estimated 119,638,000 people watched "Miss Evelyn's Wild Ride," a Camaro ad featuring two guys narrating their vision of the perfect ad for America's best-selling sports car. To date, the video has garnered more than one million views on YouTube.

To view Alex and Ben Tedesco's 'Missed Opportunities – Though The Lens' film, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZooMF2x46HY

To see Keith Rivers and Caleb Buse's winning Chevrolet Route 66 film 'How to Film 101 (Oregon)', go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkKBg9K2gRs

To enter the Chevrolet Route 66 competition, participants can sign up to download a brief from Chevrolet at www.Mofilm.com/ChevroletRoute66. The deadline for video submissions is 12:00 noon GMT, December 1, 2011.

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 4 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet cars combine passion, bold design and practicality. They provide outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2010, Chevrolet grew its market share in Europe to 2.5 percent, selling 477,194 cars. Chevrolet has a network of more than 2,700 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the Spark city car, the small Aveo, the compact four-door Cruze, the Captiva SUV and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet is launching seven new cars: the all-new Orlando family van, the new Captiva SUV, the Corvette Grand Sport Coupé, the all-new five-door and four-door Aveo, the five-door Cruze, the Camaro coupé and convertible and the award-winning extended-range Volt electric car. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain, France and Turkey. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is celebrating its centenary in 2011. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevroleteurope.com or media.chevroleteurope.com.

About MOFILM

MOFILM's mission is to allow creative people from anywhere in the world and with any background to 'Get Creative - Get Noticed and Get Famous!' using the MOFILM platform as a base to run 'Make and Ad' and film competitions to showcase talent