NewZNew (Chandigarh) : Young film makers from schools across the country have a chance to fly to Australia, awarded by Cambridge English Language Assessment – a department of the University of Cambridge – and the Australian Trade Commission in India. Students interested in making short films now have a chance to prove their talent on the national stage and earn the chance to win a study trip to Universities in Australia.

Organized by Cambridge English and The Australian Trade Commission, the competition is sponsored by four Australian university partners – Bond University, Charles Darwin University, Curtin University and James Cook University.  National Australian Bank and Credila are the travel sponsors and SAE Institute is the knowledge partner. The prizes – one week study trips to Australia for the 4 winning teams each comprised of 2 students and their teacher – are provided by the four sponsoring universities. The prize includes return flight tickets from India to Australia for the teams, accommodation, and other travel and living expenses for 5 days in Australia for the study programme.

There are 4 themes for the competition chosen by each of the universities listed above:

• Bond University: Social Entrepreneurship
• Charles Darwin University: Creative Animation
• Curtin University: Robotics
• James Cook University: Marine Sciences

The teams should make a 3 minute video on one of these themes, upload their entries to YouTube and submit the link to compete.  Students cannot register for this competition independently. Their schools need to register on www.a2oz.org and enter the students’ names for them to become eligible to participate.

Registration for the competition commenced on 7 October, 2015 and the entries can be submitted between 15 December 2015 and 15 January 2016.

Technical sessions on video production will be conducted for schools and students across India to help the students with their entries. These workshops, which will be held between 26 October and 5 November are conducted in partnership with the SAE Institute and will feature Australian experts who will train the students on filmmaking and production.

The four sponsoring universities will also host webinars on the competition’s themes. Please visit www.a2oz.org for more information on the competition.

Speaking about the competition, Tom Calder, Trade Commissioner, Australian Trade Commission said, “The Australian Trade Commission is delighted to be a part of this India schools video competition 2015. It is a wonderful opportunity for Indian students to exhibit their creative talent. We wish all the students the best of luck and look forward to having the winner in Australia soon. Australia is the 3rd most popular international student destination in the world, and India is Australia’s second largest source country for foreign students. Australia has 40 universities, a number of specialist tertiary institutions, and more than a hundred education centres to deliver specific courses. Australia is also a significant international education destination for emerging careers in areas ranging from technology, digital, robotics, media & entertainment, scientific research, health, future materials, etc. Australian qualifications are recognised across the globe by leading professional associations and employers”.

Angela ffrench, Director of Operations – South Asia, Cambridge English Language Assessment said, “The A2Oz competition is a fabulous way for learners to put their English into practical use and to communicate something they are passionate about. Young people want to know the relevance of learning and this competition gives them a meaningful focus. It puts them in the driving seat: they choose the topic that appeals to them most; they plan the storyline and develop the script. It may be funny. It may be serious. But it’ll be their story. Along the way, they’ll learn a whole lot about film-making, and they may even get the chance to show off their talents in Australia.