American Center announces “Connecting Girls,Inspiring Futures” photo contest

Mumbai, 29 February, 2012

The U.S. Consulate General announces a month-long online photography contest on the theme of “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures” in March 2012, to honor International Women’s Day and National Women’s Month.

The top photos depicting the theme will receive prizes from the U.S. Consulate and its co-sponsors — International Centre Goa, Taj Group of Hotels, The Table, Ambuja Foundation and The Millennium Aerospace.

The contest is open to Indian nationals residing in the five states of the consular district: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra. The contest begins on March 1 and will conclude March 31, 2012. Winners will be announced the first week of April.

The theme of the photography contest, “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures,” underscores the commitment of both the U.S. and India to the empowerment of women and girls. It celebrates individual acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities and inspire a future generation of girls.

The online photo contest requires original photos that have been shot by the contestants in India within the past five years.

The entries should reflect the theme of the contest, “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures.” Once a photo is submitted, it is considered a final submission and may not be modified or edited, or replaced. Contestants may submit no more than five photos, however only one photo will be eligible for a prize.

Photos must include a caption.

Contestants will also be required to include their name, address and other contact details (Phone numbers, Number of Photos Submitted, Location of where the photo was shot, Estimated date when photo was shot).

Photos and required information should be emailed to mumbaipublicaffairs@state.gov.

This contest is open to Indian nationals residing in the five states of the consular district: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

Photos will be judged by a distinguished jury including Rahul Gajjar, a digital artist from Baroda, Ashima Narain, the Photo Editor for National Geographic Traveller India and Sheetal Mallar, a famous model, and commercial photographer from Mumbai.

They will work in association with a panel of American officers from the U.S. Consulate. The entries will be posted on the Consulate’s website and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Mumbai.usconsulate).

All the photos will be accessible via the American Center Mumbai’s Flickr site: www.flickr.com/photos/amcentermumbai.

Photos will be judged based on their popular appeal, apt thematic reflection and the aesthetic quality. Employees of the U.S. Government and their families will not be eligible to participate in this competition.

The first prize is a free stay for two persons (room and breakfast, on twin-sharing basis) for two nights and three days, at the International Center, Goa.

Other prizes include: A gift voucher for “dinner for two” at Taj Land’s End, Bandra, Mumbai; a gift voucher of “Lifestyle” worth Rs 8000 from Ambuja Foundation; a gift voucher for “dinner for two” at The Table, Mumbai; a pocket video camera from The Millennium Aero Dynamics Private Limited.