Mountains Matter in FAO Video Contest

On the occasion of International Mountain Day, December 11, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organizing a video contest it calls ‘Mountains Matter.’

The UN General Assembly designated December 11 the International Mountain Day to be observed every year to raise awareness about the importance of mountains in nature and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain people and the environment around the world.

According to a statement published on the website of FAO (fao.org), “almost one billion people live in mountainous regions and over half the human population depends on mountains for water.

Yet mountains are under threat from climate change, land degradation and natural disasters, with potentially far-reaching and devastating consequences both for mountain communities and for the rest of the world.”

To draw closer attention to the predicaments mountains face, FAO has urged  enthusiasts to make a one-minute video clip on the theme of ‘Mountains Under Pressure: Climate, Hunger, Migration.’

Mountains Matter video contest needs no special professional equipment. Anyone can grab a smart phone and record a message about mountains, explaining how climate change has affected a certain mountain. One need not be a filmmaker to enter the contest.

The video can include an interview with someone from a mountain community about local environmental challenges.

Until October 20, participants can upload their videos on YouTube. The videos should bear #MountainsMatter as part of their title. Having uploaded the videos, applicants should fill out an electronic form available at fao.org/international-mountain-day/video-contest/upload-your-video.

The contest has two categories whose works will be evaluated separately. The winner of the general category will be the entry with the most views on YouTube; while the winner of the professional category will be chosen by a panel of judges including experts working in the field of communications and about mountains.

Winners will be notified by October 30. They will be treated to a trip to Rome where their videos will be screened at the International Mountain Day concert on December 11.