On April 17th, Summit Brewing Company will start accepting entries for the first ever Summit Beer Movie Contest. The contest asks Minnesotans to make a short film, 5 minutes or less, that includes a Summit beer product placement. Since the brewery’s start back in 1986, Summit has supported the vibrant creative community of Minnesota through sponsorships and donations. Now is the chance for that creativity to converge with the art of craft beer in the form of a Summit beer movie.

“We want to see the creativity that our beer drinkers have hidden within them. This is not just a call for a beer commercial-we really want to see what people can come up with, whether they be a Summit beer drinker professing their love or a budding filmmaker with a story to tell,” said Mark Stutrud, CEO and founder of Summit Brewing Company.

The beer movie contest is part of Summit’s newest website launched this past summer -the interactive, video-driven, www.thesocialelement.com. This supplemental website was developed to tell the stories of both Summit drinkers and the brewery itself. With videos ranging from Nordic battle reenactors, to free runners, to Lake Superior surfers, and a weekly blog from Summit employees, the website explores what brings people together in an entertaining, visual format.

All films and entrants from the beer movie contest are eligible for placement on www.thesocialelement.com as well as attendance to the brewery screening party, with the top three films being awarded prizes. A jury of Summit employees, Paul Creager of the Square Lake Film & Music Festival, and Chris Pennington of the 10-Second Film Festival, will judge all submissions. The first place winner will receive $1000 cash, 12 cases of Summit beer, and a private party at the brewery. Second place receives $500 cash, 6 cases of Summit beer, and $50 in Summit merchandise. Third place receives $250 cash, 3 cases of beer, and $25 in Summit merchandise. Winning films will also be shown at the Square Lake Film & Music Festival http://www.solsticefestival.org/ on August 16. The contest runs April 21-May 27, with winners to be announced on or before June 9. Further contest guidelines can be found at www.thesocialelement.com.

So get out your video cameras, your creativity, your favorite Summit
beer, and make a Summit Beer Movie!