CAMBRIDGE, MA--(MARKET WIRE)--May 20, 2008 -- The Social Equity Venture Fund -- S.E.VEN -- (www.sevenfund.org) today announced a first of its kind film competition, Cinéma Prospérité, which invites filmmakers to submit short films highlighting entrepreneurs. The $35,000 in prizes will be split amongst the top three filmmakers and the entrepreneurs they profile. The competition will remain open until September 15, with the winning videos being selected in early October by a jury that includes international businesspeople, development experts, and Academy Award short-listed documentary filmmakers.

The competition (http://www.sevenfund.org/cinema/) actively seeks short videos (two to five minutes) that use the power of film to showcase the story of an entrepreneur -- to show the story of what odds this person has overcome, what impact they have had on the world, and how they've managed to achieve their goals. Profiled entrepreneurs will be engaging in for- profit, sustainable and ethical business practices.

A grand prize of $20,000 will be awarded to the top-ranked video: $10,000 to the filmmaker, and $10,000 to the profiled entrepreneur. A second prize of $10,000 ($5,000 to the filmmaker and $5,000 to the profiled entrepreneur), and a third prize of $5,000 ($2,500 to the filmmaker and $2,500 to the profiled entrepreneur) will also be awarded. Members of the online Cinéma Prospérité community will select five finalists between September 15 and September 30, 2008. The winners will be announced on October 7, 2008.

"The competition is meant to share the stories of entrepreneurs who are the core of enterprise solutions to poverty," said Andreas Widmer, co-founder of the S.E.VEN Fund. "By recognizing these individuals through a powerful medium such as film, S.E.VEN also hopes to inspire others."

This competition was funded through a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation. For additional information about S.E.VEN Fund and to view other contests, projects, and previous winners, please visit www.sevenfund.org.

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