Faces of Hunger in America - 14 Short Films are up!

Online, November 11, 2009 (Newswire.com) - New York, November 9, 2009 - The first annual Faces of Hunger in America film contest, sponsored by Palms for Life Fund (*), will be open to online voting through December 4. The voting is hosted at www.gotspot.com. The contest challenges young filmmakers to document hunger in their communities.

"Over 36 million Americans are living in food insecurity - 12.4 million being children - and we want to bring this alarming reality to the attention of the public and the nation's leaders," says Hannah Laufer-Rottman, Executive Director and founder of Palms for Life Fund (*), the main sponsor of the contest. "Everyone knows what hunger looks like in third world countries, but the effects of hunger in America are quite different. Obesity, malnutrition, physical/mental impairments are all effects of hunger. When people are unable to access consistently sufficient amounts of food for a healthy life, society suffers as a whole," Laufer-Rottman said.

The contest accepted entries from filmmakers, 25 years of age and under, and the top three videos will receive cash prizes. Six finalist films with the highest number of votes will be reviewed by a panel of judges in a public screening in New York City to select the three prize winning videos.

"Our hope is not about producing a charitable response, but rather addressing the root causes of hunger. Inequality, poverty, lack of education or employment, poor salaries and an overall disconnected attitude among those who find it comfortable to live in a state where some have more than they need and others go to bed with an empty stomach. When people hear about hunger in America they may automatically assume that we mean the homeless, but our aim is to show that this can truly affect everyone," Laufer-Rottman said.

Your vote is your voice. Please come and see the work of these young talented filmmakers. You can vote every day until December 4th by visiting http://facesofhunger.gotspot.com

...because hunger is everyone's business

(*) Palms for Life Fund is a public charity (501(c)(3)) dedicated to eliminating poverty worldwide by investing in high-quality sustainable health and education projects. Palms for Life works in Africa, Asia and Latin America with reputable local partners to feed, educate and empower those living in impoverished conditions. For more information on Palms for Life Fund, go to http://www.palmsforlifefund.org.