From August 1 to October 20, 2010, the Australian Herpes Management Forum (AHMF) ran the inaugural Live & Love Short Film Competition to help break the stigma and bust the myths surrounding the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
The Competition proved to be an overwhelming success; a whopping 117 short films were submitted to the Live & Love website, more than 20,000 unique visitors voted for their favourite films and the initiative sparked international interest with researchers from Columbia University, New York now set to analyse all films in collaboration with the University of Sydney. The research will help to assess the roles of social media and user-generated content in destigmatising HSV.
Live & Love Short Film Competition Judges' Choice Winner
The official Live & Love judging panel awarded film students Jessica Flood and Roshelle Fong the $10,000 Judges' Choice Award for their Halloween-themed film, Ah! Real Herpes.
Jessica and Roshelle say they are thrilled to have successfully and artistically challenged the misconceptions and stigma surrounding HSV.
"The Live & Love Competition forced us to think outside the square in a bid to combine creativity with a powerful sexual health message in only 30 seconds," said Jessica.
Roshelle said she wanted to challenge people to question the preconceptions and stereotypes they carry about the herpes virus.
Live & Love Short Film Competition People's Choice Winners
The Live & Love Short Film Competition also recognised the herpes myth-busting potential of five films deemed to be most effective by the general public through an online voting system. The winners of the $1,000 People's Choice Awards were:
- Strings
- HSV: Perfect for all Occasions
- Down There
- A Sign From Above
- Play it Smart
Sexual Health Physician Praises the Live & Love Short Film Competition
According to Live & Love judge and sexual health physician, Dr. Darren Russell, the AHMF's short film initiative has taken significant steps toward breaking the social stigma associated with HSV.
"The Live & Love short films are brilliant tools that facilitate open discussion about HSV infections between partners, family and friends," said Dr. Russell.
"Consequently, many people living with HSV are realising that they're not alone."
The AHMF, based at Sydney's Westmead Hospital, is Australia's leading independent provider of herpes-related information and resources. The organisation relies solely on grants, donations and sponsorship for continued operation.
So far, the AHMF has indicated that it would like to hold the Live & Love Short Film Competition again in 2011.
For more information about HSV:
Genital Herpes – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of HSV-2
Sarah Mathiesen - Sarah Mathiesen is the director of Harshmellow Media + Design, a public relations and marketing agency based in Townsville, ...
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