MNHS's annual documentary film festival is accepting submissions

It's a question MNHS is extending to everyone for their 1968 Film Festival Competition--even to those who weren't yet a twinkle in their mother's eye. They want to know your story--or one you've been told--that has relevance to the tumultuous year that saw an Olympics, an election, women's liberation, the Black Power movement, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.

This year marks MNHS's fifth annual documentary film festival; the first three years of which were dedicated to the theme of Minnesota's Greatest Generation. Filmmakers of all skill levels are encouraged to enter their 10-minute documentaries on any 1968 topic--local, national, personal, political or a mixture of it all. Take a look at the variety of submissions for last year's contest.

Documenting a moment of historical significance for the permanent record is a reward in itself, but this project also helps MNHS create a searchable database dedicated to 1968. Some winning stories may be featured in a major traveling exhibition, and there are $10,000 in prizes, too.

Films will be judged by a panel of noted historians and film professionals. All films will premiere on September 25, and awards will be presented at the Minnesota History Center. Award-winning films will be posted on the project's web site.

Submissions due September 10, and the awards ceremony is September 25. There is no fee to register, but it is required. Register online at www.the1968project.org.