A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME opportunity exists for Guyanese to contest the second annual Democracy Video Challenge (DVC).

The contest allows people from different regions of the world to tell, in a short video, what they think is democracy.

It requires contestants, who are 18 years of age and over, to show what completes the phrase “Democracy is…” and the deadline for submissions is midnight (GMT) January 31.

Sponsored by the United States State Department and private groups in that country, the rivalry offers the winners all expenses paid trips to Washington D.C, New York and Hollywood, to attend gala screenings of the winning entries, gain exposure to the U.S. film and television industry and meet with creative talents, democracy advocates and government leaders.

Of the seven who win, will be one each from the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central Asia, East Asia/Pacific and one anonymous.

Persons may enter anonymously but cannot collect the grand prize because the rules do not allow for nameless winners to get it.

Every submission must be in English or have English sub-titles, may be more than three minutes in length and contestants may use any narrative and technical style, including documentary, fiction, live action or animation.

When uploading the submission, contestants must include the following information in the YouTube branding box, the YouTube account name; the name of the video in English and the country for which the entry is being submitted.

A contestant may also choose to add a brief description of the video, providing it is in English and all submissions must be uploaded to the YouTube contest site www.youtube.com/democracychallenge by 11:59:59 GMT, January 31.

Once a video is uploaded to the YouTube contest site, it is considered final and may not be modified or edited.

Finalists would be expected to provide the contest sponsors with a broadcast quality copy of their video on DVD within two weeks of the announcement of the final list, in order for the submission to be aired on television and distributed on DVD.

No video submissions will be returned and the semi-finalists will be selected on or about March 31, 2010. An independent jury will then narrow down the number to 21 finalists on or about May 15, 2010, following which the general public will vote online for the winning videos between May 15 and June 15, 2010.

The seven who win will be in mid-June 2010 and the six publicly identified winners, one from each of the six geographic regions, will travel to the U.S. to claim their prizes in the fall of 2010.

More information and rules on the competition can be had from the contest site www.videochallenge.america.gov.