World Movie Awards Organization Launches, Using Cinema as a Cultural Heritage Preservation Platform

The World Movie Awards Organization (WMAs), a global nonprofit dedicated to promoting diverse cultural expression and unique identity preservation through cinema, is officially launching and will open registration on its website for film submissions in January 2021.

The WMAs will honor cultural diversity throughout the world and preserve intangible cultural heritage domains in motion pictures. In support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) efforts to Safeguard the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the WMAs will confer awards on motion pictures that incorporate and promote the cultural heritage elements on the lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices. "We know that nothing is more important than safeguarding cultural heritage for generations to come," said Calla W. Kennedy, Executive Director of International Affairs. "We know our identity is connected to our traditional beliefs and cultural heritage, which must be preserved to the fullest extent. Without cultural history, we are likely to forget where we came from."

Qualified film submissions must incorporate all five of the Intangible Cultural Heritage domains: the performing arts; social practices/rituals and festival events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; traditional craftsmanship; and oral traditions and expressions. Additionally, all films must be submitted in their native language with English subtitles, with the exception of the two English-speaking countries, the United States and Great Britain.

The WMAs were founded with a humanitarian aim to honor cinema that is inclusive of every ethnicity around the world while preserving unique identities and cultural heritage. "We are specifically dedicating our attention to the safeguarding of the world's most beautiful and diverse cultures through cinema," said Kennedy. With a newfound commitment to globalization in all trading sectors today, autonomous heritage is at risk of decaying due to the blending of groups and exclusion. The WMAs is working to ensure these cultural boundaries are safeguarded and preserved using their platform, educational resources, and acknowledgement of cinematic works of art.

With supervising offices in the Americas, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe and 12 regional headquarters, the WMAs is working to ensure that it provides a platform for every ethnicity of the world to showcase their culture through cinema and safeguard/preserve their heritage. "Cinema is a powerful way to capture culture with a visual component that can be shown years from now. We hope you will join us on our mission," said Kennedy.

For more information about the WMA mission or awards, please visit: https://worldmovieawards.org/home.

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