Watch online. Pick your favorite. And vote! TXU Energy and The Dallas Film Society have opened online voting for the third annual 2012 TXU Energy Light Up the Red Carpet Student Film Contest. Voting continues now through March 23 at txu.com/studentfilmcontest, where competing high school and university filmmakers have posted three- to five-minute videos on the future of energy and energy efficiency as they compete for cash prizes, video equipment and a walk down the red carpet. 

This year’s submissions include short films created in markets across Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, Austin, and more. Online voters can choose from competing films of various genres, including music video, comedy, animation, horror/sci-fi or drama. They’re asked to score the videos based on forward-thinking ideas or perspectives, solution-oriented stories and overall presentation and entertainment quality.

Voters supporting this year’s student film entries in the contest also have the chance to win two tickets to attend a film screening of their choice at the 2012 Dallas International Film Festival, currently scheduled to take place in Dallas, TX, April 12–April 22, 2012. The 2012 TXU Energy Light Up the Red Carpet Student Film Voting Sweepstakes is open to Texas residents who are at least 13 years of age and live in a deregulated electricity market area. Official contest and sweepstakes rules are available through txu.com/studentfilmcontest. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

The five high school and five university submissions with the most online votes will be announced as semi-finalists by April 12. The finalists will then be judged by representatives of The Dallas Film Society and TXU Energy, and contest winners will be selected.

According to last year’s winners, Katherine Yarbrough, director of “Queen Kill-A-Watt” from The Art Institute of Dallas, and Kassidy Testut, director of “Looking Out for Texas” from Richardson High School, the online voting component is crucial to support the talent and hard work young filmmakers invest in their entries. And, thanks, in part, to each vote that helped make them finalists, their experiences with the film contest have supported their career paths in film.

“A good film is a good film,” said Yarbrough, who interned at the Cannes Film Festival after winning last year’s contest and is now pursuing a master’s degree in screenwriting at Drama Centre London.  “But to make the final cut for judging in this contest, good films really need the support of the people who like them. Without votes, even the best of the best can be left behind when it comes to winning. So, every vote counts!”   

”Your votes can really make all the difference for young filmmakers like us as we work to bring our ideas to life on the screen for you,” said Testut, who is now in film school at the University of Southern California. “And one thing that’s great about this contest is that it’s really easy to vote. It takes a few seconds to enter your name and email address, then click and vote for your favorite, and it can really help someone who is working hard to pursue a career in our field.” 

This year’s grand-prizes are $7,500 for the winning high school and university entries. The other prizes include $5,000 for first prize and $2,500 for second prize in both the high school and university categories. The high school finalists’ audiovisual departments will receive 100 percent of the prize money, while the university students will split the cash winnings with their schools’ AV departments. Runners-up and all finalists will also receive free video editing software valued at about $400.

The 2012 finalists will walk the red carpet, and the winners will be announced at the Dallas Film Society Honors and Awards Presentation on April 21. Finalists’ films will also be screened at the 2012 Dallas International Film Festival.

About TXU Energy
TXU Energy is a market-leading competitive retail electricity provider, powering the lives of more Texans than any other retailer. TXU Energy offers a variety of innovative products and solutions, allowing both its residential and business customers to choose options that best meet their needs, including exceptional customer service, competitively priced electricity service plans, innovative energy efficiency options, renewable energy programs and other electricity-related products and services. Visit txu.com for more information about TXU Energy. REP #10004.

About The Dallas Film Society
The Dallas Film Society celebrates films and their impact on society. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, The Dallas Film Society recognizes and honors filmmakers for their achievements in enhancing the creative community, provides educational programs to students to develop better understanding of the role of film in today's world, and promotes the City of Dallas and its commitment to the art of filmmaking. In addition to producing one of the largest festivals in the Southwest, the Society produces numerous year round events, screening series and partnership programs with arts organizations around the city. For more information, call (214) 720-0555, or visit dallasfilm.org