Just recently, the YouTube website conducted a competition for those who are considered amateurs in the film making industry. Three winners will be chosen who will be granted a scholarship at the Vancouver Film School. Participants where asked to submit an original 6-minute film as an entry for the competition. After a few months, the results have been announced.

One of those who were chosen as victors is Adriana Falcao from Brazil. In the past, she has actively contributed to Brazil local film industry through her script submissions. In fact some of the stories she has written has even landed as an entry for international film festivals. Included among these, is the piece presented to the Academy Awards for the category for foreign language films in 2007 entitled “Ano em Que Meus Pais Sairam de Ferias, O”.

Although, she is a professional author and screenwriter in her native country she is still considered a newbie in the aspect of film making especially for the web media. She learned about the competition through her 18-year old daughter named Clarice who is also an actress, singer, and songwriter. At first, Adriana was skeptical about joining the competition but because of the relentless urging of her very supportive family, she then indulged.

A Family Project

The short film entry Adriana submitted could essentially be considered a family project since almost everyone in the family made an effort in order to make it possible. After due brainstorming with family and friends, she then wrote a script in just one day. Loved ones became a part of the cast of the film that they finished shooting in two days. After that, they spent an entire day editing and with Clarice’s talent in music an English song, which Clarice herself wrote and recorded, serves the film’s official soundtrack. All in all, it took them three days and $500 to put the entry together.

A good they did since all their concerted efforts paid off. Now, Adriana is reaping the fruits of her labor. At present, she is in Utah for the Sundance Festival all expense paid by one of the contest’s sponsors, Hewlett-Packard. During her interview while preparing for the festival, Adriana stated that she aims to create a film that would showcase how people all over the world utilize the Internet.

                              httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNRwB1i-e-c