Doorpost Final Round Online Voting Happening Now

You can help select the winners of this year’s $100,000, $35,000 and $25,000 prizes..

Voting is open now at thedoorpost.com and ends on Wednesday, Sept. 16 for the 10 final films in the Doorpost Film Project’s Short Film Contest. The 10 films will then move to the big screen for one night only at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Sept. 17 beginning at 7 p.m.  Filmmakers will receive scores from online voters and industry jurists, which include Ralph Winter (“X-men,” “Fantastic Four”), Catherine Hardwick (“Twilight,” “Lords of Dogtown”), Larry Lasker (“War Games,” “Sneakers”), and Fred Roos (“Godfather I, II, II,” “Lost in Translation”) to name a few.

The three films with the highest scores will be awarded cash prizes of $100,000, $35,000 and $25,000 respectively.  The winners will be announced with the help of Doorpost jurist and writer/producer, Jeff “The Dude” Dowd.  Dowd, the inspiration for “The Dude” in the Cohen Brother’s “The Big Lebowski,” will be joined by producer Dean Batali (“That 70’s Show”) and more at the awards ceremony on Sept. 19, also at the Belcourt Theatre.  The festivities begin with red carpet arrivals at 6 p.m. and awards presentation at 7:30 p.m.  The Sept. 17 and 19 events are open to the public, but to attend you must RSVP to RSVP@thedoorpost.com.  More details will be announced soon.

This year, MovieMaker magazine listed the Doorpost Film Project as one of "25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.”  The competition calls on filmmakers to create a film seven minutes or less inspired by one of five words:  freedom, redemption, humility, forgiveness or joy.  Hundreds of filmmakers were narrowed down to just 10 finalists.  In May, those 10 filmmakers were awarded a production budget of $30,000 to develop a new film, 20 minutes or less, based on the topic hope.  After four months of production, the final films are now ready for viewing.  

“This project was created for filmmakers who have a vision for life, a passion for filmmaking and the determination to get their creations seen," said Nathan Elliott, director of the Doorpost Film Project.  

The online film competition is designed to give visionary filmmakers the opportunity to hone their craft and advance their film careers.   Not only does the online screening and voting make the project unique, but Doorpost also provides filmmakers the opportunity for community among their peers and exposure among those in the filmmaking industry.  In its inaugural year, the Doorpost Film Project attracted nearly 300 films from talented filmmakers in the United States and abroad.  The online voting generated more than 250,000 unique hits, further increasing the potential for exposure.

For more information about Doorpost and the upcoming events, visit www.thedoorpost.com.