Life’s Good means something different to different people and the executives at the major electronics company have come up with a cool HD short film competition that has a narrow focus — keep it positive.

To help launch LG Life’s Good FilmFest, Jamie Foxx — in Toronto yesterday to perform a concert in support of his latest album,
Intuition — was on hand at Panorama lounge and restaurant to tell his own inspiring story. The award-winning actor, comedian and musician recounted how he grew up in Terrell, Texas, a racially segregated town where the white and black communities were separated by a railway track. To make it, his grandmother told him he would have to cross those tracks, which he did.

Most inspirational stories are stories of struggle, of make-it-or-break-it situations won out in the end or rising from rags-to-riches, but there are countless other less lofty positive stories that can equally put a smile on one’s face. That’s the purpose of Life’s Good FilmFest — it’s not just good PR for LG, but it is a good opportunity.

“Look at how we are right now — everybody has a camera right now.  Everybody is telling a message already,” says Foxx.  “So what I tell to young filmmakers is grab a couple of cameras and start shooting, shoot your vision. Start out with what I call skelescripts, and get your vision out there.

“Now, you can actually go on your computer and there are different programs you can actually cut your own films in.  My daughter does it. She’s 15 years old and she’s  inspired me.  So there’s really nothing out there that keeps you from doing what you want to do. It’s a different world right now and I think they should take full advantage of it no matter where you are and what you do. Make it happen.”

More about the LG Film Fest on the next page …

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The deadline for LG Life’s Good FilmFest entries is 5 p.m. EST on October 16. Winners will be announced in January, 2010. Each HD entry must be no longer than 5 minutes and express “a positive, uplifting message that conveys the notion that ‘Life’s Good.’”  There are four categories: animation, fashion & music, sports and narrative. The grand prize is $100,000 and three runners up will each receive $10,000. Go to
LGfilmfest.com for details.

“I myself have been fortunate enough to work with some of the greatest filmmakers in the business from Taylor Hackford [2004’s
Ray] to Michael Mann [2001’s
Ali, 2004’s
Collateral, 2006’s
Miami Vice] to Oliver Stone [1997’s
Any Given Sunday], Sam Mendes [2005’s
Jarhead] and Bill Condon [2006’s
Dreamgirls]. To see how they paint a picture for us and tell us how this world is necessary.

“The way you [LG] doing it is absolutely incredible. There’s no entry fee. It doesn’t matter who you are. I think that’s great because there are a lot of people out there that are just waiting in the wings to become that next director, that next actor, that next writer and give us something to route for, something happy and exciting.

“Some of it is gonna be great, some of it is gonna be average, and some people you’re going to have to search to find their vision,” says Foxx, “but I think it gives people a chance to live their dreams and it’s time.”

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