Washington — Contestants in the State Department’s Democracy Video Challenge will have their films reviewed by award-winning filmmaker and documentarian Michael Apted and Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, who have agreed to oversee the competition’s selection of 21 semifinalist videos from submissions from around the world.

The Democracy Video Challenge, launched online and at the United Nations on September 15 to coincide with International Democracy Day, invites contestants to submit a three-minute video to complete the phrase “Democracy is …” as part of an effort to engage audiences in an online global dialogue on the nature of democracy.

The submission deadline for videos is January 31, 2009. Six prizewinners selected from the 21 semifinalists will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to visit Washington, New York and Hollywood, where they will meet with U.S. film and television professionals and democracy advocates from the media, civil society and U.S. government. (See “Democracy Video Challenge.”)

Director Michael Apted will co-chair the jury to select 21 semi-finalists for the Democracy Video Challenge.

The English-born Apted is currently president of the Directors Guild of America (DGA). According to a December 29 DGA press release, he has won awards for his film and television work, which has covered a wide range of political and social themes on race, class, gender, conservation, equality and the effect of societal pressure on the individual.

His directing credits include the films Amazing Grace, Gorillas in the Mist, Coalminer’s Daughter, The World Is Not Enough and Nell. His film The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third installment in the Chronicles of Narnia series, is currently in pre-production.

“Film is a window into our common humanity, the challenges and joys that make up the universal human experience, no matter what language we speak or where we were born,” Apted said on accepting the position of jury co-chair. “The young filmmakers taking part in this challenge will harness the magic of this powerful art form to connect to people around the world in a global discussion on democracy.

To help make the video challenge a success, the State Department is partnering with top organizations in the film and entertainment industry, including DGA, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and NBC-Universal.

MPAA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Glickman said Apted’s participation as co-chair of the jury “raises the bar for the competition.”

“We know that these young filmmakers will be honored to have their work reviewed by such a distinguished emissary of the film industry,” Glickman said.

Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto said he looks forward to seeing creative voices on democratic progress.

Hernando de Soto’s work on capitalism and the state’s protection of property rights has won him international renown, with Time magazine describing him in 1999 as one of the five leading Latin American innovators of the century.

“I look forward to seeing what creative voices from around the world can bring to this important discussion about the progress of democracy in the 21st century," de Soto said in a December 9 State Department statement announcing his participation as jury co-chair.

Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky said, “I can think of no one better than Hernando de Soto to co-chair the Democracy Video Challenge jury. De Soto’s vision of combating poverty, terrorism and hopelessness by expanding property rights is among the more empowering ideas of our generation.”

The State Department is also working with U.S. academic institutions such as New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. The Democracy Video Challenge partnership includes the pro-democracy organizations Center for International Private Enterprise, International Republican Institute and National Democratic Institute, as well as the youth organizations International Youth Foundation and TakingITGlobal.

More information on the Democracy Video Challenge can be found at YouTube, where submissions for the contest are available for viewing.