The votes are in, and we have your winners! Colorado Film Office’s Colorado Revealed Video Contest had 59 film entries and 48 films competed for the total prize of $15,000 + Commemorative Hateful 8 filmstrips from Kodak. The contest received over 7,000 votes, 55,000 views and 1 million social impressions. Here are the winning films and filmmakers.
Click on the image or on the video title to view the film.
Sarah R. Lotfi First Place winner with “Colorado Revealed Worlds Within”
“I am one of a team of filmmakers in CineVIA Pictures. We got very excited about Colorado Revealed because it was a chance to showcase the state from our own point of view as filmmakers. Working within a small crew was a lot of fun and drew us closer together by making this piece! Winning is such a moral boost that I get to share with everyone I worked with. So much of your success as an artist and business owner is by the reputation you build with your work. The Audience Awards award adds to the strong reputation we strive to present about our work at CineVIA Pictures.After taxes, the cash prize will help our team recoup some operating costs for our production company CineVIA as well as reinvest back in the talent we worked with. In this industry artists are constantly being asked to give of themselves while shouldering all the risk. One of our goals in CineVIA has always been to create jobs. Winning Colorado Revealed is a step forward in that direction with the projects we have lined up.”- Sarah R. Lotfi first place winner of $5,000 + 1 Commemorative Hateful 8 Film Strip with “Colorado Revealed Worlds Within“
Brett Schreckengost First Place jury winner of $5,000 + 1 Commemorative Hateful 8 Film Strip with “Colorful Colorado”
“I moved to Colorado in 1992, I was 21 years old and determined to find a way to make a home in the mountains that had been calling me all my life. I found a love for skiing and the outdoors at an early age in the Appalachian mountains of western NY and PA, and It was the images of bigger mountains and powder skiing in Colorado that really pulled me out west in search of new adventure. I was drawn to photography as a way to share my adventures and experiences with my friends back home and made a decision to pursue photojournalism and adventure photography, the ultimate dream job. Twenty four years later I have followed athletes and friends on all sorts of adventures all over the place and I have learned that there truly is no place like home in Colorado. There are a lot of beautiful places out there in the world, but in my opinion none of them compare to Colorado and I really believe that is is because of the community. The people in Colorado are what make this place really shine and it is probably why I decided to take a shot at competing in the contest.I am thankful to have my work showcased alongside so many other talented filmmakers from around the state of Colorado and it is truly an honor to be selected from the field by the jury.I am hoping to upgrade to a new camera system this summer and the prize money will be very helpful in making that dream also come true. I try to re-invest as much as possible in technology and equipment.” –Brett Schreckengost First Place jury winner of $5,000 + 1 Commemorative Hateful 8 Film Strip with “Colorful Colorado”
Maurice Cox Second Place winner of $2,000 with “Far In The West”
“5200 Studios is an up and coming production company. We were contacted by The Audience Awards to compete in the Colorado Revealed competition and it appeared to be a great opportunity for our company.Winning the audience choice award means so much to 5200 Studios because we were chosen by the people. It really shows us that we are supported by the community and that they enjoy our work.5200 Studios will invest the cash prize back into our growing company. We will be purchasing better equipment to film our next piece. Be on the lookout for more projects in the future.” -Maurice Cox Second Place winner of $2,000 with “Far In The West”
Riley Donavan Third Place winner of $1,000 with “A COLORADO DAY”
“I’m from the town of Salida, Colorado. Growing up in a small mountain town meant that I really got to experience a lot of what the state has to offer, and even after traveling to some pretty spectacular places, I have never been anywhere as cool or unique as Colorado. I competed in the contest because I had a really fun short I’d shot with my friends last summer that really shows what it’s like to be a young person in Colorado.It’s an honor, I’m very thankful for everyone who voted and especially those who helped with making the short a possibility. I have an amazing friend who composed the music. And to everyone in the Colorado crew who make it easy to have fun every day. I’m going to use the prize to support making more films.”- Riley Donavan Third Place winner of $1,000 with “A COLORADO DAY”
Diego Estrada Second Place jury winner with “Rediscover the Known”
“My name is Diego and I’m based in Denver, CO. I began making films for YouTube just for fun, not knowing where it would lead me. Over the years, I have finally started to gain the courage to seriously pursue what I once did as just playing around — now I know for sure that filmmaking is what my heart wants to follow. I competed because I truly love Colorado and I don’t see myself living anywhere else.It’s an honor to have been selected considering all the films because there were so many great entries. First of all, I want to congratulate all the filmmakers in Colorado for the work that they do; several of the entries inspired me to get out there and explore even more. Also, a really HUGE thanks to the people who helped me out with this project (you know who you are). Without you guys, all of this would not have been possible. Thank you for believing in the idea.I will be using the prize to fund future projects and treat my mom to a spa day. (:I really love the outlet Audience Awards has created for indie filmmakers to share their stories and gain recognition for them.”-Diego Estrada Second Place jury winner of $2,000 + 1 Commemorative Hateful 8 Film Strip with “Rediscover the Known”
Congratulations to the winners!
Check out upcoming video contests to submit your own films!
The Audience Awards provides filmmakers opportunities to create short video content for brands and win money. Sign up today for your free account and join film’s community.
