Deadline approaching for Spark film entries

Sunday, January 1, 1905

photo Local Hero Project

A mini film festival focusing on the region's great outdoors will accept submissions through Friday, April 5.

Entries in the Local Hero Project, which will debut during the Spark arts festival, must have a central focus on the greater Chattanooga area's outdoor experiences, from the serene to the extreme.

"Native adrenaline junkies can enter their epic waterfall drops, gravity-defying attainment moves on cliffs or catching air off a single-track launch rock," explains Jeff Styles, one of the organizers. "But kinder, gentler types can also enter more genteel, thoughtful fare as well. A time lapse of clouds and sunbeams, a slow walk through a field of flowers, a quick Civil War history lesson following the plaques in (Chickamauga) Battlefield, dogs, kids, kid with dog.

"As long as it's three minutes long (or less) and outdoor-centric, you're in."

The viewing party will be on the opening day of Spark, A Right Brain Celebration, which is set for April 11-24. The films will be shown on a continuous loop on the big screen at Mellow Mushroom, 205 Broad St. Select entries will be featured on the Get Local Comcast channel Sunday, April 12, through Sunday, Sept. 15.

The festival is open to professional and amateur videographers. Entries must be shot in high-definition.

Videos can be uploaded online at www.atomicfilms.com/theheroproject or www.facebook.com/thelocalheroproject. Videos on DVDs, flashdrives, memory stick, etc. can be dropped off at L2 Boards, 100 Market St.

Prizes will include outdoor gear, an Ocoee rafting trip for six, Mellow Mushroom munchies, gift certificates and a free tandem hang gliding flight with a top pilot.