Request for Submissions

Shorts and Features to be Screened in Conjunction with the
2011 Annual Genetic Alliance Conference:
25 Years of Innovation

Issue Date: November 1, 2010

Postmark Deadline: February 28, 2011

For more information: www.geneticalliance.org/genescreen2011

Send submissions to:
Genetic Alliance
Gene Screen
4301 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Suite 404
Washington, DC 20008-2369

Email: genescreen@geneticalliance.org
Website: www.geneticalliance.org/genescreen2011

Genetic Alliance invites submissions of films to be screened in conjunction with our 2011 Annual Conference, 25 Years of Innovation.

Background
Genetic Alliance hosted Gene Screen in conjunction with our 2009 and 2010 Annual Conferences. Each year we screened phenomenal films for enthusiastic audiences, including both Genetic Alliance Conference participants and locals from the DC area.

This year, Genetic Alliance will host our Annual Conference – 25 Years of Innovation – June 23-25. The Conference will kick off with Genetics Day on the Hill on Thursday, June 23, and continue through Saturday night, June 25, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in metro Washington, DC. Genetic Alliance Conferences consistently draw a large, diverse, and dynamic group of participants, including advocates, health professionals, policymakers, industry professionals, community leaders, and others in the rapidly expanding field of health and genetics.

Gene Screen will be held at the conference hotel. We would like to screen a feature-length film after Genetics Day on the Hill, the night of Thursday, June 23. In addition, we will screen a series of shorts on Saturday, June 25, as a conference session. The primary audience will be Genetic Alliance Annual Conference attendees, of which we expect more than 300, though members of the public will be invited to the feature screening, as well. All filmmakers of selected films are invited and encouraged to attend and participate in Q&A sessions after the screenings, but it is not required.

Genetic Alliance is currently celebrating our 25th year; we are hosting many events and activities to commemorate the anniversary throughout the year, including a gala on September 22, 2011. We would like to include multimedia presentations at these events, including film, so Gene Screen selections might also be screened at other 25th anniversary events.

Rules & Regulations

POSTMARK DEADLINE: February 28, 2011

Entry is open for ALL TYPES AND GENRES of film, but films MUST BE RELATED TO GENETICS AND HEALTH. Films can be about a particular condition, but should have relevance beyond that condition to appeal to a diverse audience. We highly value films with an educational message, but the primary purpose of Gene Screen is entertainment. Films that seem like a commercial for a particular organization or cause will likely not be selected for screening.

The films we select will complement our Conference sessions. The following content areas were provided as choices to individuals submitting abstracts for Conference presentations. Use the list as a guide. Submitters should also bear in mind the Conference theme: 25 Years of Innovation. 

• Advocacy and Outreach
• Clinical Research
• Cultural Competency
• Delivery of Services
• Education and Information
• Emerging Organizational Trends
• Family Health History
• Health Disparities
• Health Information Technology
• Health Systems Transformation
• Leadership
• Newborn Screening
• Novel Partnerships
• Public Health
• Public Policy
• Social Media
• Support Services
• Translational Research

• Films of any length will be accepted, though we may choose to screen excerpts from longer films.
• Films will be accepted on DVD (Region 1 NTSC format only) or as a .mov file. Please note running time on entry form and on DVD.
• DO NOT send originals. Submitted materials cannot be returned.
• There is a $10 entry fee for the first submission. Any additional submissions (from the same individual) have a $5 entry fee. Cash, check, and money order are accepted. Only US dollars are accepted. All checks and money orders should be made out to Genetic Alliance.
• Each entry must include a COMPLETED ENTRY FORM AND SIGNED RELEASE FORM to be considered.
• The entry form includes an explanation (up to two pages) of the film’s relevance to Genetic Alliance as an organization, our conference audience, and Advancing Novel Partnerships, including a brief descriptions of the film’s applicability to any content areas identified from the list above.
• There is no limit on how many entries you may submit, but each entry must have a separate entry form and entry fee. There is a $10 entry fee for the first submission; there is a $5 entry fee for any additional submissions from the same individual. You may send multiple submissions together in one package.
• Please print your film’s title, director name and contact information, and running time directly on the DVD.

• All submissions will be acknowledged via email. Make sure to print your email address very clearly. Include the emails for all individuals named on the entry form who may be interested in learning the results of the competition. IF YOU CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, LET US KNOW. Add genescreen@geneticalliance.org to your email list of acceptable non-spam emails.
• Selected films will be screened at the Genetic Alliance Annual Conference and may also be screened at other Genetic Alliance 25th anniversary events.

POSTMARK ENTRY DEADLINE: February 28, 2011

Mail all submissions to:

GENETIC ALLIANCE
GENE SCREEN
4301 CONNECTICUT AVE, NW
SUITE 404
WASHINGTON, DC 20008, USA

Prizes & benefits
The first prize winner will receive a $250 travel stipend (reimbursed) to travel to Washington, DC, to participate in the Q&A session after the screening.

Free registration to the Genetic Alliance Conference will be provided to one person for each film selected, though lodging costs will be at the filmmakers’ expense. All filmmakers are also invited to participate in Genetics Day on the Hill. Both the conference and day on the hill are excellent networking opportunities with prominent individuals in the fields of genetics, health, and advocacy.

About Genetic Alliance
Genetic Alliance improves health systems through novel partnerships and the dynamic engagement of communities and individuals. 

For more information: www.geneticalliance.org

Inquiries and Additional Information:
Vaughn Edelson
Genetic Alliance
4301 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Suite 404
Washington, DC 20008-2369

Phone: 202.966.5557 x213
Email: genescreen@geneticalliance.org
Website: www.geneticalliance.org/genescreen2011

Genetic Alliance improves health through the authentic engagement of communities and individuals. In this, our 25^th year, we celebrate innovation on our journey toward novel partnerships, connected consumers and smart services.