SPN India announces the opening of the Picture This festival for the Planet

Sony Pictures Television Networks (SPTN), in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, today announced the opening of the Picture This Festival for the Planet (www.sonypicturethis.com), a short-film competition for emerging filmmakers, everyday storytellers and changemakers worldwide to showcase the positive future they see for our planet. Starting January 30, people from over 70 countries around the world are invited to submit videos between one and eight minutes in length inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of global goals agreed upon by all 193-memberstates of the United Nations to end poverty, protectthe planet and promoteprosperity for all.

Andy Kaplan, President, Sony Pictures Television Networks, said: “At Sony, we are proud champions of the intersection between storytelling and innovation and are incredibly excited to spearhead Picture This. With the support of the United Nations Foundation and our other partners, we look forward to elevating and amplifying these important development goals through the voices of emerging creatives and acknowledge their good work in a meaningful way.”

Partners in this year's festival are:TheUnited Nations Foundation, the United Nations Association of the United States of America, WeTransfer, Sony World Photography Awards, Sony Alpha Universe,the Environmental Media Association and leaders and environmental visionariesfrom around the globe. SPTN launched a similar contest in 2016 across its channel portfolio worldwide, including its flagship brands AXN, Sony Channel, Crackle and Animax and those same flagship channels will participate in this year’s festival. 

In addition to Kaplan, the list of celebrity advocates and industry leaders who will judge film submissions includes: Megan Boone, environmental advocate and actress from the hit TV series “The Blacklist,”;Elizabeth Cousens, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Foundation; Marie Jacobson, EVP Programming & Production, Sony Pictures Television Networks;Tom Bernard & Michael Barker, Co-Presidents, Sony Pictures Classics; Mr. N.P. Singh, MD &CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India; Glenn Gainor, President of Physical Production, Screen Gems;Debbie Levin, President & CEO, Environmental Media Association; and Damian Bradfield, President and Chief Marketing Officer, WeTransfer.

N.P. Singh, MD & CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India, said, “Much of India’s development agenda is embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals. Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) is supporting the Picture This festival for the Planet because we believe that heightened social consciousness leads to positive social impact. Visual storytelling is a powerful tool to inspire social change. That is why we would like to invite students, professionals, academicians, environmentalists and filmmakers to submit their entries. Picture this, to picture a change.”

Elizabeth Cousens, Deputy CEO of the United Nations Foundation, said: “The Picture This Festival for the Planet isan innovative new platform to connect global audiences to what is happening on the ground as people put the SDGs into action in their daily lives. The United Nations Foundation appreciates Sony’s deep commitment to sustainability and its willingness to leverage its creativity and reach to bring the SDGs to new audiences. By celebrating individual stories of people around the world actively working to protect people and planet, Picture Thiswillhelp inspire others to join the effort to realize these ambitious – and achievable – goals."

This summer, eight (8) regional winners will be flown to Los Angeles to attend thePicture ThisFestival for the Planetfor a day of networking and training alongside industry leaders and social impact partners at the Sony Pictures Studio lot,followed by a screening of the regional winners’ films.Regional winners will receive airfare and accommodations for two nights in Los Angeles, along with a Sony RX0 Camera and a one year WeTransfer Plus account, with the grand prize winner honored with a Sony A6500 camera and a SEL1670 lens. 

There will be three winners selected from India. While the first winner will receive gratification, as indicated above, the other two winners from India, will be rewarded with a Sony PJ675 Handycam® with Built-in Projector (HDR-PJ675) camera, each. In addition, the first 100 entries from India will each receive a WeTransfer Plus account for a year.

The Picture This Festival for the Planet isSony Pictures Entertainment’s latest project to bring awareness to the SDGs. In 2016, the United Nations and SPE launched Angry Birds for a Happy Planet, a global youth outreach campaign that leveraged online and social media platforms to encourage action to protect the planet and fight climate change. Centered on the Sustainable Development Goal #13 – to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, the campaign featured Red and other characters of The Angry Birds Movie. In 2017, supported by the cast of the Smurfs: The Lost Village, audiences were encouraged to join “Team Smurfs” for the “Small Smurfs Big Goals” campaign that inspired everyone to learn about and support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Submissions for thePicture This Festival for the Planetwill open January 30 and close April 30. The contest will be open to entrants from select countries worldwide. Please visit sonypicturethis.com for more information and to enter for free. In India, regular updates on the Picture This festival will be available on SPN’s social media handles including Instagram and Facebook