Finance and Administration Cabinet
Public Voting Opens for Green Team Online Film Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 3, 2009) — The videos are in, and now it’s your time to vote for your favorite entries in the First Annual Green Team Kentucky Online Film Festival! 

From now through March 15, 2009, visitors to the Green Team Web site—www.greenteam.KY.gov—will be able to vote for their favorite submitted films in three separate categories.  The top ten videos in each category will then be viewed by a panel of celebrity judges with Kentucky roots who will select a winner in each category.  Those judges include:

  Golden Globe-nominated actress Ashley Judd;

  Environmental activist Robert Kennedy, Jr.;

  Kentucky-born actresses Florence Henderson and Laura Bell Bundy;

  Director Gus Van Sant, recently nominated for an Oscar for his film, Milk;

  Award winning director Gill Holland;

  Popular rap group Nappy Roots;

  Award-winning Kentucky author Silas House;

  Public radio voice Bob Edwards; and

  University of Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie. 

Winners will be announced on Earth Day 2009, the first anniversary of First Lady Jane Beshear’s launch of the Green Team initiative.  Over 60 films have been entered.  The “directors” range from groups of school kids, Girl and Boy Scout troops, as well as seasoned filmmakers.  All are eligible to win the $1,000 first prize in each category.
 
Films were entered in three categories:

(1) A 30-second public service announcement that encourages Kentuckians to reduce their energy consumption;

(2) a short film of 10 minutes or less that highlights environmentally friendly, energy-saving actions that anyone can and should perform; and

(3) a short film of 10 minutes or less that presents an invention, new device or new idea that would help reduce energy consumption in Kentucky. 

Anyone with access to the Internet can vote to decide which films will be sent to the panel of celebrity judges.  Just go to http://www.greenteam.ky.gov/filmfestival for the link to the festival’s YouTube channel and a Web form to vote for your favorite in each category.  One vote per email address is allowed. 

The Online Film Festival is a new initiative of the First Lady’s Green Team designed to inspire, teach and encourage individuals to take steps to improve our environment.  Mrs. Beshear, along with Ashley Judd, launched the first annual “Green Team Kentucky Online Film Festival” using the same technology that hundreds of Kentuckians used to enter the competition—a YouTube video, broadcast over the Internet.

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