1. The People Speak  

 What do Matt Damon, Lupe Fiasco, Viggo Mortenson, and Marissa Tomei have in common? They are regular performers in live People Speak events throughout the country. Watch them read and perform some of the most important writings and speeches in our nation's history. Which movements inspire you most? Which voices do you most want to bring to life? Make their movies; share their stories.

 How do the courageous people who stood up for change throughout history inspire you to take action? Make a movie that shares your own ideas for social change.

$1500 High School, $1000 Middle School

2. Heinz History Center Pittsburgh Innovation 

Make a movie that tells the story of a Pittsburgh innovation or innovator. Topics could include Andy Warhol, Pittsburgh's leading role in media (first movie theater, radio station, and public broadcast TV station), Nellie Bly, August Wilson, the field of robotics, or the history of philanthropy in the region. Visit our resources for more ideas, or come up with your own!

$1500 High School, $1000 Middle School

3. Polio: Then and Now

Polio was once the most feared disease of the 20th Century, until a young doctor and his team at the University of Pittsburgh developed a vaccine that conquered the disease in the United States. Make a movie that connects what happened here in Pittsburgh in the 1950s with current eradication efforts around the world. Your film could help raise awareness, educate, and inspire action. 

$1500 High School, $1000 Middle School 

*Special prizes will also be awarded to select films that feature the environment or nonviolence

All prize money will be split between the winners and their schools. Every contestant is eligible for the $1,000 "fan favorite" prize, which will be determined by the number of votes on the site.