Deadline: 3 June 2018

Applications are open for Plural+ 2018 which is an empowering tool for young people to speak out about what they think of migration, diversity and social inclusion, using their own views and voices.

The PLURAL+ Video Festival is a joint initiative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the support of a wide network of international partners.

The PLURAL+ Video Festival gives youth a platform to say what they think and to make themselves heard by people from all over the world.

Subject

• No video may contain vulgarity, violence, defamatory language or any other subject deemed by the PLURAL+ Video Festival organizers to be inappropriate for the tone of the competition.
• Videos must pertain to the topics of migration, diversity, social inclusion, and related topics.
• Reflecting on these topics, videos should show the youth’s thoughts, experiences, opinions, questions and suggestions.
• Videos may be of whatever type, style or genre that the entrant wishes – animated, documentary, drama, music video, comedy etc.
• Videos should reflect the aims of the PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival, which are:
  • To recognize youth as agents of social change in a world often characterized by intolerance, and cultural and religious divisions.
  • To involve youth in addressing questions on migrant integration, inclusiveness, identity, diversity, human rights and social inclusion wherever they be in the world.
  • To encourage the practical contributions of young people in not just identifying constraints, but also in promoting a climate of respect and appreciation for each other.

Prizes and Awards

• The PLURAL+ JURY AWARD prizes will be awarded in three (3) age-based categories:
  • up to 12 years old
  • 13 to 17 years old
  • 18 to 25 years old
• The PLURAL+ Jury Awards will be awarded to one entrant per category and will be selected by an independent international jury.
• One representative of each PLURAL+ International Jury Award winner will be invited to New York, with airfare and hotel accommodation paid, to present their work at the PLURAL+ 2018 Awards Ceremony in New York in November 2018. Only a youth entrant with one chaperone for each winning video will be flown to New York.
• PLURAL+ 2018 will also select a video for the PLURAL+ Special Award for the Prevention of Xenophobia. The winner of this award will also be invited to New York, all travel expenses paid.
• Additional awards may be given by PLURAL+ partners and may include equipment, travel or professional opportunities. IOM and UNAOC or PLURAL+ bear no responsibility regarding partner awards. See past partner awards here.
• Winning videos will receive broad recognition and exposure through wide multi-platform distribution of their work, including broadcast, satellite, internet, film festivals and possibly DVD.
• Winning entrants will be notified no later than 15 August 2018.
• A prestigious international jury will announce the winners during the PLURAL+ Awards Ceremony in November 2018 in New York.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entrants to PLURAL+ must be of maximum 25 years of age at the time of the production of the video submitted to PLURAL+.
• People appearing in the video do not have to be youth. However the videos must reflect the youth’s opinions or reflections about migration, diversity and social inclusion.
• Multiple youth may work together to make one video, as long as all members of the group are maximum 25 years of age at the time of the production of the video submitted to PLURAL+.
• Only minimal roles of any adults (over the age of 25) involved in the making of the video (e.g. educators, teachers, instructors, etc.) is acceptable (group coordination, technical support, renting equipment, etc.). It is understood that particularly for the age group of up to 12 years, educators could have a more substantial role in the production of the video.
• If multiple youth work together on one video then the video will be judged in the age category of the entrant who has a primary role in the creation of the video.
• Immediate family members (siblings, children and grandchildren) of IOM, UNAOC and the jurors for the PLURAL+ Video Festival are not eligible to enter.

How to Apply

• All entries must include a fully completed and signed entry form, including co-signature by a parent, guardian, teacher or responsible adult if the entrant is a minor in his/her country of residence.
• If submitting a DVD, each package must contain:.
  • The fully completed entry form
  • The DVD of the video
  • All DVDs must have the name of the entrant and the English title of the video printed on top of the DVD in permanent marker.
  • Videos must be submitted by post at the address given on the website
• If submitting through a file hosting website, participants should send an email at the address given on the website. In the subject line write PLURAL+ 2018 VIDEO ENTRY, and the text mail should include:
  • Title of the videos
  • Name of the authors
  • Address/link for download of the video
  • Contact email
• Participants must follow these instructions or risk their entry not being accepted.
• The Entry Form must also be included as an attachment to the email. Videos will not be accepted without the Entry Form completed and signed.
• PLURAL+ is not responsible for the cost of sending videos.
• PLURAL+ will not be able to return the DVDs so please keep master copy of your video in a safe place.
• PLURAL+ is not responsible for lost, late, misrouted, misappropriated, or damaged entries.
• Entrants must inform the PLURAL+ Video Festival organizers if their contact information changes at any time between submitting their video and the announcement of the competition winner.
• The official language of the PLURAL+ Video Festival is English.