PRESS RELEASE
Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, has partnered with NPS MedicineWise to launch an industry-first short film competition to raise awareness and help fight antibiotic resistance this cold and flu season.
Filmmakers of all skill levels are encouraged to start story-boarding ideas. The brief: make an award-winning short film/community service announcement (CSA) of up to 45 seconds about the threat of antibiotic resistance and how awareness of #savethescript can help fight this global issue.
The World Health Organization has warned that antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to human health today. Australia has one of the highest prescription rates globally, with around 24 million prescriptions issued annually.
As well as delivering a vitally important health message to Australians, Tropfest and NPS MedicineWise are offering a prize pool of $10,000 in cash prizes as well as global exposure for the winning films via Tropfest’s platforms.
Tropfest Managing Director, Michael Laverty says this competition provides filmmakers with a new opportunity to further their skill and experience, “Storytellers have a unique opportunity to use their craft to raise awareness about this global health threat. We at Tropfest know Australians to be incredibly creative and we’re excited about the unique challenge this competition presents. We’re looking forward to seeing what stories are shared.”
NPS MedicineWise CEO Dr Lynn Weekes says, “Antibiotic resistance is here—it’s a serious health issue already in our community, but there are simple actions individuals can do to help stop its spread. Without action today we face a future where antibiotics are no longer effective against bacterial infections. A recent prediction from the UK stated that antibiotic resistance could lead to an extra 10 million deaths a year worldwide by 2050.”
NPS MedicineWise is half way through a five-year campaign to make Australians aware of the seriousness of the issue and educate individuals about the steps they can take to preserve the miracle of antibiotics. This new short film competition gives creative Australians a unique opportunity to join the fight against antibiotic resistance.
Tropfest Managing Director, Michael Laverty says, “The #savethescript short film competition is an industry first—a creative and truly collaborative initiative addressing a global issue.”
So join the challenge: entries will be accepted every day in May. To find out more, to submit an entry, and for terms and conditions, visit winteriscoming.nps.org.au