June 6, 2001

POSTMODERN SPIRIT: ALIVE OR DEAD?
Film Festival Explores Spiritual Perspectives of Emerging Generations

LOS ANGELES, CA - How are changing spiritual perspectives affecting our lives and our culture? The Damah Film Festival—Spiritual Experiences in Film will launch its first annual celebration of short films addressing a variety of spiritual themes this October 10 and 11, 2001, in Seattle.

American spirituality shifted in the 20th century from a common Judeo-Christian heritage to a divergent spirituality that embraces Eastern and Western thought. This postmodern shift in thinking about spirituality affects every area of our society, from politics to sexuality, from education to family relationships. The Damah Film Festival seeks to uncover films that explore spiritual topics, and to give voice to a new generation of filmmakers.

“Recent blockbusters like Matrix and the soon-to-be-released Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings have powerful spiritual story lines, but they cost millions of dollars to produce,” noted Festival spokesperson, Spencer Burke, creator of www.theooze.com. “We want to provide a platform for up-and-coming storytellers to find exposure for their work. Just like J.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to sit together in an Oxford pub and play around with story lines, we want Damah to be a place where new filmmakers can gather and share their ideas.”

Awards will be presented at Experience Music Project at the base of the world-famous Space Needle on October 10; workshops and screenings will follow on October 11 at Seattle Art Museum. Prize money totaling $15,000 will be awarded, and winning films will be screened on the Internet as well as at the festival.

Jurors include Michael Medved, film critic and author of the controversial Hollywood Vs. America, Stephen Simon, producer of What Dreams May Come, Michael Levine, founder of one of the most prominent entertainment public relations firms in the country, Mako, featured in the recent blockbuster Pearl Harbor, and senior writer at Entertainment Weekly, Chris Willman. More jurors will be added.

“Damah” is a Hebrew word that means “inspirational metaphor.” The Damah Film Festival has only one requirement: filmmakers must capture “spiritual experiences” by telling stories of struggle, redemption, inspiration or surprise. Films may range from one minute to thirty minutes in length. The early deadline for submissions is July 1 ($20) and the final deadline is August 1 ($35). Any acquisition format is accepted. Visit www.damah.com for more information.