Sawt Al-Hikma Center, affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, believes in the youth’s capabilities and creative energies, and it desires to provide a platform for them to publish the products of their talents. Therefore, the center has announced the launch of the second season of its short film competition with the main theme “Merciful Among Themselves”. It invites young people from different countries around the world to participate and contribute to spreading awareness about the tolerance of Islam and the beauty of its teachings. The participants are to correct the false stereotypes about Islam by presenting short films that depict its true meanings and its other values ​​such as coexistence, integration, moderation as well as building bridges of trust between people of different religions.

Prizes:

First place: 5000 USD

Second place: 3000 USD

Third place: 2000 USD

In addition, the three winners will win an all-expenses-paid Umrah.

Topics:

The tolerance of Islam and the supremacy of its teachings

The detachment of terrorism and extremism from the spirit of Islam

The correct interpretation of Islamic law that extremists misuse to benefit their agendas

Muslims’ and Muslim societies’ rejection of extremism and terrorism

The practical embodiment of the values ​​of mercy in Muslim societies

Manifestations of Islamophobia and extremism’s attack on the image of Islam

 

How to Participate:

 

Videos should be submitted no later than March 15, 2020 by uploading the film to any site the participant deems appropriate. The participant should add the link to the video to the required data on the participation form which can be accessed through the link below.

To participate in the competition and fill out the form, click here.

 

Participation Form:

 

Each participant must enter the official website of the “Merciful Among Themselves” competition and fill out the following data fields correctly and accurately:

• Direct download link to the movie
• The names and information of all those who took part in making the film
• Numbers and means of communication with the filmmakers, to contact them if they are short-listed.

Types of Submissions:

All those who are talented at making short films can participate in the “Merciful Among Themselves” competition by submitting any type of film such as:

– Short documentary film
– Short feature film
– Animation
– Motion graphics

Or any other type of short film production.

Participation Terms and Conditions:

 

• The contest does not require a participant to be of a specific nationality or religion.
• The video must adhere to the competition’s theme and must address one of its issues.
• The film should not be less than one minute and not more than 3 minutes.
• The video must be owned by the participant, and there must not be any copyright infringement. 
• The video should be of high resolution (at least HD 1920×1080), and the audio should be clear and audible.
• Videos that have previously won in other contests are not accepted.
• The video must not have been previously published or circulated by any means.
• The film should not include any explicit violation of the teachings of Islam.
• The video must have been produced after January 1, 2019.
• The film must be in one of the three languages ​​of the Organization (Arabic, English, French) or translated into it.

Timeline:

 

January 15, 2020: Participation in the competition starts.

April 23, 2020: Deadline for receiving entries

April 26, 2020: Shortlisted candidates are announced (Top 10 films).

April 27, 2020: The shortlisted films are published on Sawt Alhikma Center social media accounts for audience interaction and comments.

May 20, 2020: The top three winners of the short film competition are announced.

 

Copyright and Ownership:

 

The center has the right to translate films to other languages ​​and republish them.

No participant in the competition has the right to claim material rights or conditions on the film after submitting it.

Judging Criteria:

Under the supervision of Sawt Alhikma Center, a jury comprising specialists in the filmmaking field selects the candidates of the long lists and shortlists. The criteria will be based on image quality, the strength of the script, clarity of the film’s message, tight construction, the beauty of presentation, the extent to which the subject adheres to the competition’s themes, and acting performance (if applicable), the audience’s interaction with the films on the center’s official social media accounts (Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube).

If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact us through our platforms on social media accounts or via the following email: info@www.sawtalhikma.org

Sincere Wishes of Success to All