ADB launches 'My Video H20' contest on water crisis

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is calling on all aspiring filmmakers around the world to join its second video competition focusing on Asia’s looming water crisis. My Video H2O: The Asia-Pacific Video Contest is aimed at making people aware of how “climate change, increased water use in farms and industries, and rising urbanization are straining on Asia’s shrinking water resources," the Manila-based bank said in a statement Thursday. “With 60 percent of the world’s population, Asia is at the forefront of the world’s water problems, and solutions," said Ann Quon, principal director of ADB’s external relations department. Quon said the bank was “encouraged by the response" to the first video competition last year on climate change. “I’m very excited to be part of My View H2O to encourage people to pick up any form of digital tool they can access and make a short but strong statement about water," said contest judge Khavn dela Cruz, also festival director of .MOV — the first digital film festival in the Philippines. Other judges include Japanese filmmaker Momoko Ando, Indonesian director Joko Anwar, American film curator Christopher Beaver, Chinese documentarist Du Hiabin, and Pakistani filmmaker Samar Minallah. The ADB said over $10,000 worth of prizes are at stake for the best videos about water issues in Asia and the Pacific. There are no age restrictions for the contest, and citizens of any one of ADB’s 67 member-countries are eligible to participate, the bank noted. The ADB said applicants need to complete a short online registration form [http://www.adb.org/MyView/2010/] and upload their videos on YouTube.com or Youku.com. The deadline for submission of entries is on Jan. 31, 2011. — With Jesse Edep/VS, GMANews.TV