Thi Be Nguyen and Sean St. John launch Social Affect Movie and Artwork Competition

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Throughout a time when social injustice has by no means appeared extra vital, Canada’s first ever Social Affect Movie and Artwork Competition (SIFA Competition & Gala) wish to showcase the movie and artwork that’s chatting with right this moment’s most vital points in society.

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Organizers introduced not too long ago that the SIFA Competition Pink Carpet Gala and Awards Ceremony will happen in 2021.

The pageant will invite filmmakers, producers, artists, photographers, not-for-profit organizations and companies to submit their initiatives to be acknowledged in one of many occasion’s social influence movie and artwork awards.

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Prizes for class winners will embrace a social influence award, money, the announcement of winners in a Canadian nationwide newspaper, the projection of the movie or showcase of the challenge on the SIFA Competition in 2021, an invite to attend the SIFA Competition Pink Carpet Gala and Awards Ceremony in 2021 and the royalties for his or her movie from on-demand views.

Submissions for the SIFA Competition will probably be accepted till Dec. 31, 2020, with the SIFA Competition Awards and Gala going down Aug. 6-8, 2021.

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Social issues have all the time been a part of Thi Be Nguyen’s life; she additionally believes that via artwork, we will convey consciousness and affect constructive change on the planet. After arising with the imaginative and prescient for the pageant in 2017, Nguyen enlisted the assistance of Sean St. John, Govt Vice President, Managing Director, Head of Mounted Revenue and Co-Head of Threat Administration Options at Nationwide Financial institution.

Because the co-founder of the SIFA Competition, St. John hopes the pageant will give voice to the vital work being carried out world wide to positively change society.  Via the pageant, each Nguyen and St. John wish to present filmmakers, artwork producers, not-for-profit organizations and anybody delicate to social points an opportunity to showcase their initiatives.

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Under is our latest interview with Thi Be Nguyen and Sean St. John. For extra data on the Social Affect Movie and Artwork Competition, go to www.sifafestival.com.

You first had the inspiration to create the SIFA Competition in 2017.  What transpired up to now three years in your life that prompted you to start out this challenge?

Thi Be Nguyen: The previous three years have been extraordinarily busy in my life. On prime of my each day life with my household and work, I produced two documentaries, was concerned in no less than six charitable organizations and traveled lots. With the unprecedented pandemic that compelled confinement and its repercussions on society, it additionally helped me “decelerate” and replicate by myself life and initiatives.

Throughout this pandemic, we have now seen how social causes influence communities world wide. Don’t get me mistaken, social advocacy has all the time been round, however I feel it has been much more elevated throughout this disaster. I’ve all the time been involved in studying about society world wide from its historical past, to its tradition and artwork, and its social points and evolution. Via UniAction, a charitable group I based to convey consciousness to social causes, I wished to discover a means that I may do that globally. Moreover, I’ve discovered an ideal founding associate in Sean St. John, who, proper from the beginning, felt engaged by this initiative. Due to this fact, I feel it was the correct time to formally launch the Social Affect Movie and Artwork Competition (SIFA Competition).

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Are there any particular social causes that you simply hope the SIFA Competition will convey to mild, and the way do you consider artwork and movie can encourage change? 

Thi Be Nguyen: The SIFA Competition goals to present voice to all social causes. Other than bringing consciousness, what is essential to me is that every social trigger we convey to the general public can generate constructive options via peaceable dialogues from the viewers. We wish to interact the viewers in having their very own reflections, and to assist convey constructive options to what they’ve discovered via the movie and artwork that will probably be exhibited in the course of the SIFA Competition.

I feel there are numerous methods to encourage change, and thru movie and artwork is one in all them. Photographs communicate a thousand phrases. Tales can encourage and encourage. Historical past can train and affect. Songs can contact the soul and convey feelings. A bit of artwork or pictures can ignite a response.

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Movie and artwork are supposed to entertain, so already the viewers will really feel some sort of emotional attachment to what they see. Many documentaries and artwork productions create consciousness and thus affect the viewers’s view on social points. Some is perhaps impressed to make modifications.

What sort of submissions are you looking for and what are the standards and tips that you can be following for the award course of?

Thi Be Nguyen: The SIFA pageant submission entry is open till the top of December 2020. There are over a dozen classes that we wish to acknowledge, from characteristic and quick movie/documentary, TV collection, theatrical, songs, work, pictures, poetry to books. Principally, we wish to see any artwork that has social points and social influence at its coronary heart. We invite producers, filmmakers, artists, charitable organizations, companies, or any particular person or group worldwide to submit their impactful initiatives to the SIFA Competition Awards. There will probably be a jury committee of consultants in numerous fields that will probably be evaluating the initiatives. As much as 5 nominees will probably be chosen in every class and award winners will obtain a recognition award, a symbolic bursary and media protection.

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We additionally intention to acknowledge a person or group within the artistic business with the World Social Affect Influencer Award.

Sean St. John, as co-founder of the SIFA Competition, what prompted you to work with Thi Be Nguyen and what are your hopes and targets for the occasion?  

Sean St. John: We’ve labored on philanthropic initiatives at Nationwide Financial institution collectively, particularly Proper To Play, and have grown to respect and respect one another’s ardour to do extra, to assist others in our personal little means. When Thi Be offered the thought to me, and being an avid fan of artwork myself, particularly of latest artwork and pictures and documentaries about folks normally and icons who modified the world, it immediately spoke to me. After we received off the cellphone, I instantly despatched her an electronic mail saying, “that is an unimaginable concept, thanks for considering of me. I wish to be concerned.” So right here we go… prepare.

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My hope is that by doing this pageant, we’re making a stage for promoters of change, a stage the place they are often heard and given the possibility to encourage others to assist these causes that talk to them.

The SIFA Competition will give a louder voice to the social advocacy work being carried out world wide.  What subject or points do you assume particularly have to be addressed and the way do you assume this pageant will assist?

Sean St. John:  I’m extra excited to study from others. I’ve my areas of focus that resonate with me personally, like most cancers, indigenous accessibility and youngsters’s rights, however what I really feel must be addressed just isn’t the motive force. I wish to hear different tales, as a result of it’s from listening to these tales that consciousness begins, and it is just via consciousness that we’re pushed to assist make a change.

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