AZUSA, CA (January 24, 2011) –The 2011 Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition is now accepting entries from amateur and experienced filmmakers who showcase their creative filmmaking talents while raising awareness of the need for effective, efficient and responsible use of water.

Now in its 4th year of providing a platform to actively raise awareness of the need for water conservation, Rain Bird’s Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition is open to all narrative, documentary, animated, experimental and/or student-made short films, 1 to 10 minutes in length, that creatively explore methods and ideas to responsibly manage and use Earth’s most precious resource.

Filmmakers who submit their short films via the competition website, www.IUOWFILM.com, will have their films reviewed by a judging panel made up of film and water experts. Finalists will win a trip to Los Angeles, where they will be guests at a formal screening event hosted by wildlife expert, Jack Hanna, 30-year veteran of documentary films and TV shows.

“As a person that has spent the better part of my life documenting the beauty of wildlife and the habitats in which they live, I can appreciate the incredible power that film has to open minds, create an emotional connection and bring about change,” said Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio, and host of Into The Wild. “When I travel around the globe, I get to see firsthand just how strong the connection between water and life is. I am excited to once again have the opportunity to join Rain Bird in raising awareness of the fragility of all life and the need to find sustainable solutions that will preserve all of Earth’s inhabitants.”

Following the screening of the finalists’ films and a roundtable discussion with the filmmakers and judges, two winners will be announced and awarded cash prizes of $6,000 for the Jury Award and $3,000 for the Audience Choice Award.

This year’s competition will also feature a $6000 Green Industry Award, which will be presented to the finalist’s film receiving the most votes from professionals who work in the green industry – landscape architects, landscape contractors, irrigators, golf course superintendents, etc.  Presented in partnership with the Questex Media Group, publishers of leading landscape and building publications including Athletic Turf, Golfdom and Landscape Management, the Green Industry Award will be voted on by industry professionals on a separate website hosted by Questex.

In addition to the return of Questex Media Group and FilmL.A. as Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition partners, The Chronicles Group, GOOD magazine and the Southern Nevada Water Authority have also partnered to support the competition in 2011.

A representative from each organization will also serve on the competition’s judging panel, where they will evaluate the submissions based on their ability to creatively address the issue of responsible water use. The 2011 competition judges are:

• Doug Bennett, Conservation Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority
• Ben Jervey, Contributing Editor, GOOD Magazine
• Patrick Roberts, Group Publisher, Golfdom and Landscape Management Magazines
• Philip Sokoloski, Manager of Communications, FilmL.A.
• Jim Thebaut, Chief Executive Officer, The Chronicles Group, Inc.

All entries must be submitted electronically no later than 11:59 PM (PDT) on August 1, 2011 for consideration. More information on the competition and entry requirements is available at www.IUOWFILM.com.