QV Film Earns 'Fan Favorite' Award in Video Competition

A Quaker Valley High School student film made an impression on voters, who named the film this year's winner in the "Fan Favorites" category. 

The second annual digital media competition, "Take A Shot at Changing the World," challenged students in middle and high schools in Southwestern Pennsylvania to come up with a short video about the development of the vaccine and what is being done today to eradicate the disease worldwide.

The video contest was inspired by the film, "The Shot Felt 'Round the World," which tells the story of how Dr. Jonas Salk and his team pulled together with the Pittsburgh community and nation to develop the polio vaccine. 

The first-ever “Take a Shot” Film Festival took place Sunday, May 20 at the Heinz History Center where more than 100 students and family members screened films and collected awards.

In the end,  freshmen the the sixth to ninth grade category  and one high school video was selected by the public.

A film by Quaker Valley's Revulse Film Company, submitted by student Peter Heres, earned the fan pick in the category of grades six through nine.

"Our Big Idea to Change the World is a teen-to-teen hotline that can help instill hope to teens in need. Our idea also includes website that could help educate family and friends on depression, self-harm, and suicide," the team wrote.

Submissions this year garnered more than 10,000 online votes with the prize money split between the winners and their school. More than 30 local middle school and high school students took home a collective $10,000 in prize money as winners in Steeltown Entertainment Project’s second annual competition.

To watch this year’s winning videos, visit www.takeashotcontest.org. 

2012 Steeltown “Take a Shot at Changing the World” contest winners are:

1. Pittsburgh Environmental Prize

• Acid Rain, Nasha Wright, Cynthia Gutierrez, Tommy Sonnie, Jayvon Turner, and Lamar Woodward, Gateway High School (6-9 grade): $1,000
• Mutual Impact: WPSD Rain Barrels, Emily Bach, Michael Pryor, and Alex Russo, Western PA School for the Deaf (10-12 grade): $1,500

2. Heinz History Center Pittsburgh Innovation Prize

• Lawrence’s Fight For Green, Lenique Huggins, Falk Laboratory School (6-9 grade): $1,000
• Pulse Motors, Adam MacDonald and Nick Blom, CAPA (10-12 grade): $1,500

3. Pittsburgh Polio Prize

• Total prize of $2,500 was split between four winning submissions:
  • The Salk Reaction, Jon Marek, Mt. Lebanon High School (6-9 grade)
  • End Polio Now, Kelly Hois, Jefferson Middle School (6-9 grade)
  • Jonas Salk, Renee Havery, Pittsburgh Obama (10-12 grade)
  • Pittsburgh Polio Innovation Project, Jordan Kelley, Seth Dotson, Matt Pugh, Clay Smith, and Kevin Austin, South Park High School (10-12 grade)

4. Globe Changers Prize for Social Action

• Act As One, Maggie Mayer, Falk Laboratory School (6-9 grade): $2,500 and a trip to Washington D.C. to attend the Jefferson Awards National Ceremony in June

5. Fan Favorites

• Revulse Film Company, Peter Heres, Quaker Valley Middle School (6-9 grade): $1,000
• A Pittsburgh Rap, Melissa Gorham, Ashton Watts, and Adam Watts, Hampton High School (10-12 grade): $1,000

The “Take a Shot at Changing the World” digital media initiative is a collaborative effort put forth by Steeltown Entertainment Project, The Jefferson Awards, The Heinz History Center, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Allegheny Intermediate Unit, and WQED.