The inaugural ‘Mekong Mini Movie Festival’ (Mekong Minis), a short-film competition that celebrates the rich travel diversity of Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), is offering awards across several categories for the best submission that capture the essence of GMS daily life and travel.
Mekong Minis is the first and only platform of its kind video snapshot competition which is open to both professionals and amateur videographers alike. Prizes include unique Mekong country experiences inclusive of inter-regional flights and accommodation plus the prestigious Irrawaddy Dolphin Trophy to increase awareness of the endangered species. Winners of the country categories will be announced during Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF) on June 27-28, 2018 in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, and winners of the regional categories will be unveiled during the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Viet Nam in January 2019, preceded by screenings of the final videos for voting by MTF delegates.
“We love the power that a short video of less than 60 seconds can give new life to our most extraordinary Mekong memories. It’s the reason why we’re launching MekongMinis.com and hosting the Mekong Mini Movie Festival competition-to celebrate those inspiring, stunning, and just plain awesome Mekong moments shared by everyday travellers and citizens,” said Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office. “What’s unique about the contest is that in addition to promoting the region, companies can promote their business by encouraging their guests and staff to add their own company hashtag.”
Anyone can enter simply by sharing videos of 60 seconds or less via their own social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube), making sure to tag the videos with #mekongmoments, #minis, and the #country or #destination, (plus choosing either #business or #experience) is required to be eligible for the competition. Shared videos might include a meal with new friends, anywhere from Cambodia to Viet Nam. It may be a time-lapse of the perfect Mekong River sunset, or a walk about though a local market. The competition seeks films that are inventive, funny, uplifting, inspiring, and meaningful.
Winner Announcements
Round 1 – Individual Country Submissions
Three prizes will be awarded per country: Viewer’s Choice, Editor’s Choice and Industry Choice (Mekong Tourism Forum attendee) awards. The winners of these three prizes, as well as winners of category prizes sponsored by private companies, will be announced during the Gala Dinner at the Mekong Tourism Forum 2018 in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand on June 27.
Round 2 – Regional Submissions
Three prizes will be awarded for the top regional submissions: Viewer’s Choice, Editor’s Choice and Industry Choice (Mekong Tourism Forum attendee) awards. The winners of these three prizes, as well as winners of category prizes sponsored by private companies will be announced at the ASEAN Tourism Forum during January 2019 in Vietnam.
Prizes
1. Country Prize winners will be awarded experiential trips to each participating country in the Mekong Region, while the Regional Prize will consist of a trip to multiple Mekong countries. All prizes include flights and hotel accommodation for two people and various activities, packaged into one memorable Mekong Experience. Aligned to the 2017 Year of Sustainability of the United Nations, experiences will be responsible in nature.
2. All winners will receive the prestigious Irrawaddy Dolphin trophy to increase awareness of this animal, declared as ‘vulnerable’ by WWF, and based in the Mekong and Irrawaddy Rivers.
3. The shortlisted submissions will be posted on MekongMinis.com to allow people to follow and get inspired by their journey experiencing the Mekong Region. In addition, they will be shown at international screenings, which will take place in collaboration with TravelMassive, the world’s largest community of travel industry insiders, leaders, and innovators.
Submitting a film is simple for participants, who can just upload directly to their own Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube account by tagging their video with all three of the following hashtags: #mekongmoments – #minis – #country/destination plus choosing either #business or #experience. The contest will run in two stages, the first from January 25, 2018 until May 15, 2018 (for individual country submissions), and second stage lasting now until November 15, 2018 (for regional submissions – films that cover at least three or more Mekong countries).
Complete rules and criteria to enter the Mekong Mini Movie Festival competition can be found here.
About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), located in Bangkok, was set up with funding from the governments of the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries – Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The MTCO, which operates on annual financial contributions from each GMS country, acts as the secretariat for the GMS Tourism Working Group, comprising of senior officials of the six GMS countries’ National Tourism Organizations, to coordinate and facilitate sustainable tourism development of the GMS in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and promotion of the Mekong region as a single travel and tourism destination, in collaboration with the public and private sectors. The MTCO manages its award-winning MekongTourism.org digital platform as a one-stop platform to promote responsible and sustainable tourism in the region, as well as the annual Mekong Tourism Forum, which hosting is rotated among GMS countries.
