March 18, 2008- Vancouver Film School, Canada’s largest post-secondary entertainment arts institution, and YouTube™, the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos, today announced the Vancouver Film School (VFS)/ YouTube “What Matters to You” Scholarship Competition. People from around the world will have the opportunity to share their film, animation, or creative pitch in a 3-minute video to win a full-tuition scholarship.

Artists from the 19 regions where YouTube has local sites will be eligible to submit their original videos from March 18 to May 9. VFS will then narrow the field to 10 finalists. Between May 20 and May 27, the YouTube community will vote to pick 3 winners. On May 30, the winners will be announced and will receive scholarships to VFS worth from $17,000 up to $52,750.

Launched in October 2006, the VFS YouTube Channel (youtube.com/vancouverfilmschool) has over 17,000 subscribers and is the most subscribed school Channel on YouTube.

“The goal of the VFS Channel on YouTube is twofold: to entertain the world and to show it what our students can do. We've had phenomenal response from YouTube viewers; they want to know how to come to VFS and we want to help them get here,” said Stephen Webster, Director of Marketing at VFS. “We're very excited to reach across the globe, find the best talent it has to offer, and put that talent in an environment where its potential can be realized.”

“A growing number of emerging filmmakers and artists are channeling their creativity to YouTube, building an audience, and generating interest in their work,” said Sara Pollack, community manager for film, YouTube. “We are excited to partner with VFS to offer a few members of the YouTube community this incredible opportunity to share their creativity with the world and vie for a scholarship in the process.”

The three scholarship recipients chosen by the YouTube community will be able to attend any of the 14 entertainment arts programs VFS offers. Along with the school's long-standing reputation as a leader in the fields of animation and film, VFS offers world-class programs in disciplines such as makeup, acting, writing, sound design, digital design, game design, and entertainment business management.

VFS/YouTube Scholarship Competition Details
Entries can be up to 3 minutes long and must be a film, animation, or creative pitch on the theme "What Matters to You." The contest is open to residents of 19 regions where YouTube has local sites, including the United States, Germany, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, Mexico, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Poland, the Netherlands, Brazil, Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Contestants must be 16 years or older and be legal residents of one of the regions listed above.

Winners of the VFS/YouTube “What Matters to You” Scholarship Competition must successfully fulfill all VFS admission requirements prior to commencing their studies and must begin attending no later than April 2011 (based on availability in selected program of entry). For more information on these requirements, visit vfs.com/admissions.