As part of the Operation Game Change programme, the launch ceremony for a  short film contest entitled WildFest took place in Da Nang on Wednesday.

Jointly organsied by the Vietnamese and US governments, the programme aims to raise public awareness of wildlife related crimes, especially illegal rhino horn trafficking, and to reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products in Viet Nam.

Rhinos (Source: Internet)

The contest, the first of its kind in Viet Nam, is open to filmmakers across the country and accepts recently produced films of up to 7 minutes in duration.  The main criteria for judging entries include: strength of idea and creative concept, production execution, effective message integration regarding the consumption of illegal wildlife products, and relevance to target audience groups.

Entries are required to be submitted to the event’s organising board from 31 August.

On 1 October, the judging board will select the most compelling films to be part of the ‘Official Selection’ from which there will be three awards: Grand Prize, Special Jury Prize, and Press & Critics Choice.

The awards ceremony will take place in Ha Noi on 1 November.