this is life in austin & aspen

My friend David Neff has been bugging me for awhile to post on the new nonprofit film festival he helped start. At long last, here’s all the info, and you even still have 22 days to submit a film

Lights. Camera. Help. film festival is the premiere film festival dedicated to nonprofit and grassroots organizations. It was conceived by three friends: Aaron Bramley, David J. Neff and Rich Vázquez. All proceeds from the festival will be donated to the organization that is the subject of the winning film. Films and videos with causes directly related to a philanthropic organizations should be submitted to the festival before midnight on June 30.

“We created Lights. Camera. Help. because we want to help nonprofits and grassroots organizations gain visibility through film and video,” said co-founder Aaron Bramley. “It’s a phenomenal way to tell your story, and it doesn’t have to be expensive.”

This festival is the first of its kind in the nation and reflects the spirit of Austin, a city with prominent nonprofit, grassroots and activism communities. Nonprofits, grassroots organizations and filmmakers will use the festival to spread the word about their cause, develop a community of followers, and expand the film-for-a-cause genre.

Entering a film is free: “We really wanted to make sure that every nonprofit organization is able to tell its story, regardless of resources,” said David J. Neff, Lights. Camera. Help. co-founder. “A lot of film festivals charge 50, 60 even 100 dollars to enter a film. We do not.”

“The idea was to give non-profit videos validity and merit by judging them. We want people to see these videos, know they’re important and say ‘hey, that’s a cause I want to support,’” said Rich Vázquez, the third co-founder.More details: www.lightscamerahelp.com