Winners of the Gentleman Jack Real to Reel national competition will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to screen their short film at this year’s American Black Film Festival in Miami to an exclusive audience of industry professionals.
New this year, the program will also feature a sweepstakes where one lucky winner will receive $500 and a trip for two to New York to attend a private watch party hosted by Omari Hardwick to view the final season of POWER. The “Watch Party with Omari Hardwick” Sweepstakes ends on May 31, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To enter, text GJWATCH to 68405 during the sweepstakes period.
“We’re excited to continue our work to help forge a way for multicultural filmmakers as the issue around diverse representation among movie producers and directors continues to be a topic of discussion,” says Ben Osei, Associate Brand Manager – Gentleman Jack. “We look forward to seeing the creative projects and talented people coming through this year’s Gentleman Jack Real to Reel program and national contest.”
Now in its third year, Gentleman Jack Real to Reel is proud to once again partner with award-winning actor, producer and writer Omari Hardwick to help advocate the importance of inspiring and developing more diverse voices in the film industry.
In conjunction with the national contest, the program also spotlights local talent as part of a six-city screening tour. Each stop will feature a panel discussion with industry experts and will showcase projects from local filmmakers. The 2019 Gentleman Jack Real to Reel local screening tour will visit Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta, Dallas and Miami.
The Gentleman Jack Real to Reel contest is open to individuals who have created, directed and/or written a film in which they own the rights. Entrants must be 21 years old or older at the time of submission. Entries close on May 5, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Submissions will be judged by a panel of industry experts, based on the following criteria: screenwriting, production quality and entertainment value. For more information on Real to Reel, contest submissions, official rules and local screening events, please visit GentlemanJackFilm.com.