So the sponsored video below, The Keeper, was one of the winners of the MOFILM Cannes 2011 competition. And if you're an astute, industry-insider like me, you're probably thinking, Wow... MOFILM winner. What the hell's a MOFILM?
Turns out the folks at MOFILM are kinda crowdsourcing matchmakers. They bring in a number of sponsors -- such as Sovereign/Santander for the video below (other big names in this particular competition included AT&T and Coca-Cola Zero) -- set up an intriguing challenge (in the case below: tell the backstory behind the transactions on a debit card statement), and let the filmmakers work their creative magic for Valuable Cash and Prizes, frequently including travel to some sort of media-related event. Upcoming competitions offer trips to Festival do Rio and the BFI London Film Festival; for The Keeper, filmmakers Chris Bailey and Jake Naish got to go to the advertising-oriented Cannes Lions Festival, and hang out with Jesse Eisenberg. They also got $8000.00 for their troubles, if you care about such things.
The MOFILM folk also posted the runners-up, you can get a look at them here, And if you think you're MOFILM material, best to get started here.