Turning Lemons Into Lemonade: Kaspersky Showcases Quarantine Films

How can we stay innovative during our time in quarantine? To find out, Tomorrow Unlocked, a digital content platform from Kaspersky, and The Community Creatives, a Bali-based creative agency, launched Twelve – which is an online movement, and competition, for creatives across the globe. Participants submitted a one-minute video, depicting their experience of self-isolation using technology in creative and innovative ways.

The 24 best videos, selected by a jury, are now participating in online voting on the Tomorrow Unlocked and Community Creatives Instagram channels, to find 12 finalists. These films, including the overall winner, will be edited together to show a snapshot of a surreal and unprecedented moment in our history from around the world.

“The use of technology means we have never been so united and close to each other while staying at home. We are able to love and support one another from afar, with technology being the key medium to keep people connected. While it’s not always easy to stay positive in a situation like this, it is still possible to find inspiration and opportunity, which is how the idea for the competition was born,” said Rainer Bock, Head of Content and Platform, Tomorrow Unlocked.

Tying in this sense of community, participants from across the globe were asked to film a one-minute video during the same hour on April 17^th. The resulting films demonstrate how independent, self-employed creatives are staying innovative during the quarantine and how technology helps them to reach out to people and share their ideas. Nearly 500 registrations from 38 countries were received, with close to 100 filmmakers sending in a film. The Tomorrow Unlocked and Community Creatives teams then selected the 24 most creative for the semi-final.

Participation of the META region was well represented, with 40% of all submissions for the first round of judging having originated from countries within the META region. Of the 24 videos that have been selected for the semi-final round, three hale from Nigeria, two from South Africa and one from the UAE.

The prize for the winner is $1,200 and each of the 11 finalists will receive a $300 prize. The creator of the best Instagram story will receive a bonus prize of $100. Once online voting is completed to find the final 12 films, the overall winner will be selected by a jury consisting of two world-known film-makers, photographers and adventurers, Renan Ozturk and Taylor Rees. The final snapshot film will be presented on Tomorrow Unlocked on April 30^th.

“We were pretty overwhelmed by the submissions we received, with so many of the participants telling us how happy they were to take on a creative challenge. The films we have seen have something for everyone, with many being funny, sad, energetic, calm, artsy and even sporty. We get to see how people around the world are coping with this unique situation, and it is rather fascinating and eye-opening,” concluded Bock.

Online voting starts on the Tomorrow Unlocked and Community Creatives Instagram channels on Thursday, 23^rd April.