You watch them on YouTube, you watch them on Saturday Night Live, now it’s your turn to show us what you’ve got. Spoofing your favorite movie trailer and showing off your love for Traverse City could land you some cold, hard cash during this year’s film festival.

FIM Group, in conjunction with the Traverse City Film Festival, is sponsoring the 2011 Bumper Contest. (Bumpers are short films that play before feature films.) This year we’re asking filmmakers to strut their movie-making mojo by creating a movie trailer parody featuring Traverse City and the film festival.

Top prizes are $1,000, $500 and $250 (with several $100 runner-up
awards). Plus, all winning bumpers will be shown before feature films during
the 2011 Traverse City Film Festival.

So for all you aspiring filmmakers who love Traverse City, here’s your chance
to shine. Dust off the steady cam, oil up the boom stands and get that casting
couch ready … because the deadline for submissions is July 8, 2011. Winners will
be announced July 18, 2011.

Submissions should meet the following criteria:

• Themed around the topic “Found Objects” Take a look around the town and
  show us what you think represents Traverse City through objects found.
• Length of 20 to 60 seconds
• Submitted on DVD (higher resolutions are welcome if your trailer is
  selected)
• Above-average production values

Entries should be submitted by email or on DVD by July 8, 2011. Preview versions of
trailers may be submitted by email to trailers@traversecityfilmfestival.org.
Submissions on DVD should be mailed to TCFF Trailers, PO Box 4064, Traverse City MI 49685.

The Traverse City Film Festival may request changes by entrants to chosen trailers before
their final approval.

Some tips:

• The film festival audience is diverse, so humor and references
  should be very accessible
• Keep the pacing fast
• Think about lighting and sound clarity
• Have fun and be entertaining!

The fine print:

All trailers must be in English or contain English subtitles.

TCFF reserves the right to reject any trailer, in its sole and absolute
discretion.

Please note that if your trailer is selected, you will be required to
provide us with a copy of your trailer in a minimum of standard definition
television (NTSC 720×480) format, such as DVD. You may also be required to
provide us with Clearance Paperwork for your trailer in forms acceptable to
TCFF in order to be declared a winner.

An eligible minor (as applicable in states where the age of majority is
older than 18) should have his/her parent’s or legal guardian’s permission
to submit a trailer. The contest is subject to all applicable federal, state
and local laws.

You (or, if an eligible minor, your parent or legal guardian) understand and
agree that no confidential or fiduciary relationship is established by your
submitting a trailer to us hereunder.

Discharge/Payment of Obligations: By submitting your film, you (or,
if an eligible minor, your parent or legal guardian) represent(s) and
warrant(s) that you have discharged or paid (or will discharge or pay) all
of the following: (i) Copyright: All claims and rights of the copyright
holders, if any, in literary, dramatic, musical or other material, including
stories, plays, scripts, scenarios, themes, incidents, plots, photos, clips,
characteristics, dialogue, music, words appearing, used or recorded in your
film; (ii) Contracts: All obligations, of any kind, including, without
limitation, those with artists and personnel, relating to purchases,
licenses, laboratory contracts, distribution, exhibition, performance or use
of your film; and (iii) Guild/Union/Performing Rights Society/Participation
Payments: Any payments required to be made by any performing rights society
or to any body or group representing authors, composers, musicians, artists,
and other participants in the production of your film, publishers or other
persons having legal or contractual rights of any kind to participate in the
receipts of your film or to payments of any kind as a result of the
distribution or exhibition of your film and any taxes thereon or on the
payment thereof.

Additional Representations: You (or, if an eligible minor, your
parent or legal guardian) warrant and represent that (a) you are the sole
and exclusive owner of the film and all rights therein; (b) you have the
full and exclusive right, power and authority to submit the film and to
grant us the rights to the film herein granted upon the terms and conditions
set forth herein; (c) no part of the film has been published; (d) no rights
in the film have been previously granted to any person, firm, corporation or
other entity or otherwise exercised or made use of or encumbered in any way;
(e) your film does not defame or invade publicity rights or privacy of any
person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal
or property rights or any other third party rights; and (f) if any film
contains persons other than yourself or third party elements not owned by
you, that you have obtained express written consent to submit such film and,
if requested to do so, can produce such written consent in a form and manner
acceptable to us.

Conditions of TCFF Use of Film: If your film is selected by us to be
used in any way by TCFF, we will contact you by email, telephone and/or mail
and you will be required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility,
liability/publicity release as well as a fully-executed release in a form
and manner acceptable to TCFF for each (i) person other than yourself who
appears in your short film and/or (ii) owner of any third party element not
owned by you appearing in your short film. Failure to return any of these
documents within the time period specified by us, the return of any
notification as undeliverable, or your noncompliance with these Terms and
Conditions will result in the disqualification of your film. If you are an
eligible minor, your parent or legal guardian will be required to fulfill
all obligations imposed on you set forth herein.

About FIM Group

FIM Group has been
assisting clients in achieving financial success for more than 25 years. As
a pioneer in the fee-only wealth advisory industry, FIM Group currently
manages in excess of $500 million in client assets. With a team of more than
30 professionals dedicated to making the client experience as rewarding and
fulfilling as possible, FIM Group is one of the largest independent
investment managers in Northern Michigan. Additional information is
available at fimg.net.