Rain Bird, a manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 Intelligent Use of WaterTM Film Competition (www.iuowfilm.com). The environmentally-focused film competition gives both amateur and experienced filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their talents and encourage greater awareness of the need for intelligent water use. Following a special screening of the six finalists' films at The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Rain Bird presented filmmakers Sergio Cannella and Shalini Kantayya with the Judges Award and the Audience Choice Award respectively for their film entries Carpa Diem and A Drop of Life.
"All six finalists in the competition presented outstanding films that will undoubtedly encourage discussion on ways to manage and efficiently utilize Earth's most precious resource," said Dave Johnson, Rain Bird's corporate marketing director. "Because scarcity and mismanagement of water has a tremendous impact on the whole world, providing forums such as The Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition enables filmmakers like Sergio and Shalini to exercise their influence and spotlight these important issues. The solution to the world's water problems requires the education, mobilization and involvement of everyone, and each of our finalists' films inspires action."
As the winner of the Judges Award, Sergio Cannella of Palermo, Italy received $6,000 for his film, Carpa Diem. The film depicts a child lovingly watching a carp swimming in an aquarium as her younger brother's careless use of water in the neighboring bathroom slowly drains the fish tank.
Shalini Kantayya, the Audience Choice winner, received $3,000 for her film entry titled A Drop of Life. The story of two women--one Indian and one American--A Drop of Life demonstrates a shared struggle to save the world's drinking water in the not-so-distant future.
The environmental and film industry experts serving as judges included: Gary McVey, Executive Director, American Cinema Foundation; Lane Kneedler, Programming Coordinator, American Film Institute; Amanda Pope, Associate Professor, University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts; Frances Spivy-Weber, member of the California State Water Resources Control Board; and Robert Glennon, Professor, University of Arizona's Rogers College of Law and author of Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America's Fresh Waters.
Rain Bird's Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition is the most recent example of the company's history of creating programs and initiatives to boost water conservation awareness. Rain Bird devotes significant resources to its Intelligent Use of Water public initiatives, which include a series of white papers, public service announcements, membership on the EPA's Alliance for Water Efficiency and the EPA's WaterSense steering committee, bi-annual Intelligent Use of Water Summits, partnerships with non-profit organizations, development and support of elementary and middle school curriculums and participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade.