Arts & Entertainment
Millburn Teen Wins Award For Environmental Film
Young environmentalist Jacob Updyke's winning film will be screened this Saturday at a film festival in New York City.
MILLBURN, NJ — Millburn High School junior Jacob Updyke recently claimed a top honor, sharing it with one other winner, in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest for his film "You Reap What You Sow." The prize is $500 plus a $500 matching gift that he will donate to World Wildlife Fund.
His film will be screened, and he will receive his award, this Saturday.
Jacob is an avid environmentalist with three films under his belt. You Reap What You Sow has won 10 prestigious awards and has been screened all over the world.
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“I made this film to alert the world about the unfolding climate catastrophe,” Jacob wrote in his contest entry.
A mournful violin and piano coupled with stark black and white images set the stage for this powerful, three-minute animation. A mother and son are evacuating a city, and the young boy asks for an explanation. What follows is the story of man and his destruction of what was once pristine.
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This film unapologetically offers a glimpse into a bleak future if environmental concerns are not addressed. The only use of color appears in a startling scene at the conclusion.
"You Reap What You Sow" was just one of 196 total submissions from students ages 8 to 25 this year. The contest rules vary depending on the age level, but entrants are asked to create a 3-to 8-minute environmental film that inspires or promotes action.
Prizes range from $100 to $1,000, with three new $1,000 prizes this year for post grad, animation, and creativity.
Entries come in by a January deadline. Then a jury of 19 filmmakers and environmental activists reviews the films to arrive at finalists and prize-winning films.
These top films will premiere as a part of the One Earth Film Festival at the awards event at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., in Chicago.
You can check out Jake’s work and his mission at www.ureapwhatusow.com.
To learn more about all the winners, go here. To learn more about the One Earth Film Festival, go to www.oneearthfilmfest.org.
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