Goodness Reigns Contest Draws Attention To Timely Topic Of Family Planning

July 17, 2012 - PRLog -- For More Information:
Kevin Wandra, 678-990-9032 or
KWandra@MaximusMG.com

Non-Profit Names Judges’ Favorite Video; Asks Viewers To Decide On Their Pick

LOUISVILLE, July 17, 2012 – It’s the public’s turn to vote for its favorite video now that the judges for the GOODNESS REIGNS Mini Contest entitled “Natural Family Planning: The Better Way” have chosen, as their favorite, Leah Chen’s video “Natural Family Planning Explained.”

Goodness Reigns invites the public to view and decide on its favorite contest video at www.GoodnessReigns.com/vote/. Voting ends July 22, and the People’s Choice winner will be announced on July 23, in conjunction with the annual Natural Family Planning Awareness Week.  Following this voting period all videos will remain online indefinitely to serve as teaching tools for catechists, teachers and individuals.

“All-around (Leah’s) was a fantastic video. The format, music, dialogue and emotion were all stellar,” remarked judge Brandon Vogt, author of “The Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops who Tweet.” Judging criteria evaluated each video’s impact, its appeal to a young adult audience as well as its technical merits.

Other judges were: Damon C. Owens, executive director of The Theology of the Body Institute; Jessica M. H. Smith, speaker and blogger of NFP Works, part of The Edith Stein Foundation; and Greg and Jennifer Willits, co-hosts of SiriusXM’s program  “The Catholics Next Door.” They are also authors of a book by the same title.

Leah, a resident of Binghamton, N.Y., has a popular YouTube channel called “She is Catholic.” She will receive her choice of either a Panasonic camera or a $1,000 gift card from B&H Photo.

Top finishers include: “True Love and NFP” by Seth Kiser and Theresa Krupka of Mauldin, S.C.; “The Whole Story” by Christina Dirkes of San Diego, Calif.; “NFP Can” by Mike Day of Wesley Chapel, Fla.; “Taking the Power Back” by Myra Spiller of Ontario, Canada; “A Conversation With NFP Pioneers” by Beth Dunn of Crescent Springs, Ky.; and “NFP Flash Mob” by Mary Ashley Burton of Lexington, Ky.

Building on its mission to engage young adults and media makers to explore important faith-related issues through media, GOODNESS REIGNS launches periodic video contests. Never made a video? Those interested in participating may find helpful how-to videos by visiting the online Goodness Reigns Film School found at www.GoodnessReigns.com.

The Mini Contest is a new offering from GOODNESS REIGNS, which orchestrated an international video contest that brought together many young amateur filmmakers from the United States, India and Mexico for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain. There, they presented their videos to other WYD pilgrims and developed lasting friendships and future contacts for collaboration. A similar contest will be launched in 2012 leading up to WYD 2013 in Brazil.

All contest videos, including those from the Mini Contest, will become part of an online media archive accessible to catechists, teachers and anyone interested in learning more about the Catholic faith and lifestyle.

For more information about the contest or Goodness Reigns, or to schedule an interview with GOODNESS REIGNS Executive Director Suzanne Haugh, please contact Kevin Wandra with The Maximus Group at 678-990-9032 or KWandra@MaximusMG.com.