Registration Opening For The 16th Annual 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition

NEW YORK - Feb. 24, 2020 - PRLog -- Registration opens on March 1, 2020, for the Film Lab's 16th Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout ("Shootout"). The Shootout is an annual global filmmaking competition run by the Film Lab to provide exhibition and mentorships for underrepresented groups with a focus on Asian Americans.  The filmmaking will take place in early June. Filmmakers register online at www.film-lab.org for the competition.  Judges include Marci Phillips (Executive Director of Casting for ABC Primetime), Daniel Sakaya (President of CrossingsTV), Antony Wong (Program Coordinator at the Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI), of The City University of New York (CUNY)), Blacklist writer Kelli Johnson, Anthony Meindl, and more.  NBC executives Grace Moss, Director of Entertainment Diversity Initiatives for NBC, and Jandiz Cardoso, head of all in-front-of-the-camera initiatives for NBCUniversal's Talent Development & Inclusion Department, will be offering one-on-one mentorships to winners of this year's Shootout.

This year, former Shootout Grand Prize winning filmmaker, Tyler Ham Pong, will coordinate the Shootout.  Tyler says, "It's a huge honor to coordinate the 72 Hour Shootout! I can attest to its value because I've participated every year for the past ten years, and I consider it my pressure cooker of a film school. Not only have I grown as an actor and filmmaker, but I've also had opportunities ranging from networking, to public screenings in theaters and on TV. This year, I'm excited to facilitate these opportunities for other diverse storytellers."

Film Lab President and actor Jennifer Betit Yen noted, "We're thrilled to be working with a veteran Shootout filmmaker like Tyler this year and looking forward to seeing all of the new films and talent!  We are also excited to have two new award categories this year: Outstanding LGBT Filmmaker and Outstanding LGBT Performer."

Returning sponsors New York Women in Film & Television ("NYWIFT") and Face Off Unlimited ("FOU"), among others, will be sponsoring special prizes.  NYWIFT will be providing a year-long membership to the best female content creator. FOU's Joe Tex commented, "FOU is proud to sponsor the Shootout all these years. Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of what we do, and we are honored to be associated with such a super talented group of artists and filmmakers. We look forward to hosting the 2020 winners at BATSU! and FOU STUDIOS."