AMD Alliance International Video Contest
$10,000 (US Dollars) Grand Prize

While age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50 and affects 25-30 million people in the western world, the risks and strategies to prevent or slow its advance are little known and understood. AMD is also often a cause of clinical depression and has a severe impact on quality of life for those who are diagnosed.

To close that gap in understanding and perception, the AMD Alliance International is hosting a video contest. Everyone is invited to create and submit videos of no longer than 3 minutes that will communicate in the most creative and visually interesting ways, the impact of AMD.

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The video submissions should dramatize the societal, psychological and physiological effects of AMD. Our goal is to bring awareness to this condition and encourage regular eye exams to limit needless sight loss. The video might include things like What is AMD? How many people does it affect? What is it like to have AMD? What do people with AMD see, and how is their vision impaired? How does AMD affect caregivers, family members, patients and society at large? How can people prevent or stop vision loss from this challenging condition. What should everyone know about macular degeneration? Why should people have regular eye exams? How can AMD Alliance International help? Who can people contact for more information?

Videos will be judged on originality, creativity, effectiveness, production quality and YouTube hits. Three winners will be selected. From the three finalists, a Grand Prize winner will be awarded $10,000 US dollars. Second place will receive $2,000 and third place will receive $1,000.

The contest, which launches with the start of AMD Week, will open on September 19, 2009 and close on February 28, 2010. Winners will be announced on March 31, 2010.

The contest will be judged by a panel of experts including professional film Producer/Director Doug Metzger; Two Horns Entertainment Group and Black Dog Films President and CEO, Bill Kunkel; and Hollywood Producer/Screenplay Writer John Wilder.



Description of the Contest

AMD Alliance International, Inc. (the "Alliance") is holding the "What Does Macular Degeneration Look Like" video contest (the "Contest") which is designed to demonstrate the effect that Age-Related Macular Degeneration ("AMD") has on millions of people worldwide.

Eligibility
  • In order to enter the Contest, a contestant must agree to these contest rules (the "Rules") as they will form a legally binding agreement with respect to the Contest.
  • The Contest is open to individuals over the age of 18 and to organizations, associations and other entities. Individuals under 18 years of age at the time of entry must receive the prior permission of their parent and/or legal guardian and their parent and/or legal guardian must also sign the submission form.
  • Employees, contractors, and directors and officers of the Alliance, as well as their immediate families, and other persons professionally connected with the Contest are not eligible to participate. Members of the Alliance are eligible.
  • The Contest is void where prohibited.
How to Enter
  • Contestants must create their own YouTube account and email the Alliance a link to his or her video at info@amdalliance.org
  • A link to the videos on YouTube must be sent to AMD Alliance International at info@amdalliance.org between 12:01 (EDT) on September 19, 2009 and 11:59 (EST) on February 28, 2010 to be considered eligible entries. The upload must be accompanied by emailing a submission form to info@amdalliance.org. If you are under 18, the form requires a parent's signature and you must either scan a copy of the form and email it to info@amdalliance.org or fax it to 416-486-8574 (in Toronto, Canada).
  • For technical specifications, contestants are advised to follow YouTube guidelines for posting videos, which can be found at
    www.youtube.com/t/yt_handbook_produce
  • Videos must be no longer than three minutes and must be produced in English or with English subtitles.
  • The Alliance accepts no responsibility for submissions lost, delayed, damaged, or mislaid, howsoever caused.
Conduct
  • By entering the Contest, each contestant agrees to comply with and be bound by the Rules and to comply with the rules and specifications set forth in the YouTube terms of service, which can be found at www.youtube.com/t/terms (the "YouTube Rules").
  • Submitted videos will not be accepted or eligible if they include any content that contains or appears to contain any of the following, in the sole discretion of the Alliance (language will be evaluated by the Alliance based on context and societal acceptability):
    - Explicitly profane or obscene material
    - Endorsing or condoning of illegal drug use, alcohol abuse or any other illegal activity
    - Nudity, profanity or extreme or gratuitous violence
    - Express or implied commercial endorsement
    - Derogatory characterization of any person or group based on age, race, color, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, marital status, mental or physical disability, citizenship, creed, national origin, physical appearance, political affiliation, union membership, or other unethical or unlawful factors, or
    - Depictions of any inappropriate conduct, language or other context
  • Each contestant shall secure any necessary permission(s) to use copyrighted images, music or any other materials or information in connection with his/her video.
  • Each Contestant certifies that the video that he/she submits is original and that he/she is the sole and exclusive owner and rights holder of the submitted video and that he/she has the right to submit the video in the Contest or if he/she is not the sole and exclusive owner and rights holder of the submitted entry, that he/she has obtained the necessary permission to submit the video in the Contest.
  • All intellectual property rights in any entries that belonged to the contestants will remain with the contestants, but the submissions will otherwise become the property of the Alliance, and will not be returned after the Contest.
  • No contestant shall, or shall have, at any time, granted any person or entity other than the Alliance, the right to use his/her video.
  • The Alliance reserves the right to disqualify any entry that it believes in its sole and unfettered discretion infringes upon any law or otherwise does not comply with the Rules or the YouTube Rules.
Judging and Selection of Winners
  • Judges are independent and will not be made aware of who submitted the videos to ensure impartiality.
  • Videos will be judged based on creativity, originality, YouTube hits, adherence to the theme, overall quality and their success in creating or driving awareness of AMD, including, but not limited to, their impact on physiology and vision, quality of life, families and any other aspect deemed relevant by the judges.
  • Certain contestants deemed to be finalists, as determined by the Alliance, will be asked to send a high resolution version of their respective videos in a DVD format to the Alliance. Failure to provide the video in such DVD format within the time specified shall result in the disqualification of the contestant from the Contest.
  • Contestants agree to comply with and be bound by the decisions of the judges, which are final and binding in all respects.
  • In the event there are insufficient suitable entries (in the sole discretion of the Alliance), all prizes may not be awarded.
  • If any winner is not able for whatever reason to accept his/her prize, then the Alliance reserves the right to award the prize to another contestant.
Prizes
  • There will be one grand prize winner who will receive a cash prize of $10,000 US. Second place will receive $2,000 and third place will receive $1,000.
  • Winners are responsible for any applicable taxes on their prizes, as well as any other incidentals or costs associated with claiming the prizes.
  • Return of any prize/prize notification may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Any potential winner who cannot be contacted within fifteen (15) days of attempted first notification will forfeit his/her prize.
Media Activity
  • By participating in the Contest, each contestant agrees and grants the Alliance permission to use, copy, modify and make available his/her submission to the public (with or without attribution to the contestant) for any purpose, such as, but not limited to, press and media communications, without further compensation to the contestant.
  • Each contestant also agrees to participate in any media or promotional activity regarding the Contest.
  • Each winner agrees that the Alliance may use his or her name and likeness to administer and promote the Contest.
Privacy Notice
  • By participating in the Contest, each contestant agrees that the Alliance can collect his/her personal information, and that if the Alliance cannot collect the required data, a contestant may not be eligible to participate in the Contest.
  • Any personal information collected during the course of the Contest will only be used for administering the Contest and for other purposes as outlined in the Rules, and will be subject to the practices described in the Alliance's Privacy Policy.
General Conditions
  • This Contest is governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada. All federal, provincial and local laws and regulations apply. By participating in the Contest, each contestant agrees to be bound by the terms of the Rules and by the Alliance's decisions, which are final and binding, on all matters pertaining to the Contest.
  • The Alliance is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Contest or in the announcement of the prizes.
Limitations of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you indemnify and agree to keep indemnified the alliance at all times from and against any liability, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses resulting from any act, default or omission by you and/or a breach of any warranty by you set forth herein. To the maximum extent permitted by law, you indemnify and agree to keep indemnified the alliance at all times from and against any liability, actions, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses for or in respect of which the alliance will or may become liable by reason of or related or incidental to any act, default or omission by you under these rules including without limitation resulting from or in relation to any breach, non-observance, act or omission whether negligent or otherwise, pursuant to the rules by you. To the maximum extent permitted by law, you agree to hold the alliance, its respective directors, officers, employees and assigns harmless for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the contest and/or use or acceptance of any prize won.

Severability

If any provision of the Rules is held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions of the Rules will remain in full force and effect.