Voting is underway on the top 10 finalists in the annual Faith Counts “Film Your Faith” video contest. The original videos reflect the value of faith in our society. The public has until July 31, 2018, to pick a fan favorite in the competition, which is now in its third year.
"We are so pleased with this years entries," said Kerry Troup, communications director of Faith Counts, a nonprofit organization representing more than 100 million Americans. "The quality of the short films is outstanding, and more importantly, the positive message about faith are conveyed in very different, creative ways."
Visit the Faith Counts website to view the final 10 videos and cast your vote, one vote per person per day. The fan favorite winner will be announced on the Faith Counts social media channels on or about Friday, August 10, 2018. The winner receives a $10,000 cash prize.
The 10 finalists will also be judged by a panel of Faith Counts judges from the film industry and interfaith community and will be eligible for the $20,000 grand prize or $2,500 honorable mention award.
The grand prize and honorable mention winners will be announced on Friday, September 14, 2018, at the 69th Annual Religion News Association Convention in Columbus, Ohio, and on the Faith Counts social media channels.
In 2014, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other faith organizations partnered to create FaithCounts.com and its social media channels to address a national trend of declining church attendance and religiosity.
People of all faiths are encouraged to share their personal faith experiences on the Faith Counts website and social media channels using the #FaithCounts hashtag. Faith Counts has nearly 600,000 followers and has become the leading, fastest-growing multi-faith online platform.
Partner organizations supporting FaithCounts.com include 1st Amendment Partnership, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Hillel International, Hindu American Foundation, Orthodox Union, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Salvation Army and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Judges this year include Rich Peluso, Affirm Films; Steve Taylor, film producer, "Blue Like Jazz"; Kam Williams, critic, Rotten Tomatoes; Matt Baer, film producer, "Unbroken"; Simon Rivera, 2017 "Film Your Faith" grand prize winner; Bob Waliszewski, director, "Plugged In"; Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, chairman, Committee for Religious Liberty of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Sister Sharon Eubank, Relief Society general presidency and director of LDS Charities; Rabbi Joshua Bolton, Hillel Rabbi for University of Pennsylvania; and Baldev Singh, executive director, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.