Amateur film maker Beth Stollman beat out more than 600 competitors to win first prize in Atlanta's recent amateur film making competition. Judges praised high quality and professionalism by the entrants

The competition started back in August when potential film makers were asked to submit short films between fifteen and twenty-five minutes long. The competition was specifically for amateur film makers in the Atlanta area. Judges praised the diverse selection of films that were entered. The entrants came from all walks of life, from students to office workers to pensioners. The winner, Beth Stollman, is a twenty-nine year old recruitment consultant with no prior training or experience in the film industry.
Judges commented on the professionalism and high quality of the entered films, saying that they were very pleasantly surprised and that there is a lot of untapped talent out there. The winning film by Beth Stollman was about a young man coming to terms with the tragic loss of his wife. Beth Stollman says she was inspired by a close friend who recently dealt with the passing of her husband.
The short twenty-four minute film poignantly, albeit briefly, manages to explore the range of emotions experienced by someone who is grieving. Without falling into the usual clichés or exploiting the extreme emotions of the subject matter, Beth Stollman's film succeeded in portraying a realistic and inspirational journey of a man learning to come to terms with the death of a loved one.
First prize was $10,000 and the next five runners up each received $2,000. The prizes were generously sponsored by local businesses. When asked what she will do with her prize money, Beth Stollman said, "I haven’t really thought too much about it yet, I'm just so pleased to win. It's a huge honor and it has really made me think my career path. I think I would like to put the money towards furthering a career in film-making. Perhaps it will go towards a course on film making, or I might buy a really good camera. My ideal job would to be behind the camera".
About Beth Stollman
Beth Stollman was born and raised in Atlanta. After finishing high school she worked her way up in administrational roles in local offices before becoming a recruitment consultant in 2008. She travelled for over a year around South East Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, before going to Australia where she was a nanny for 10 months. Beth Stollman lists tennis, yoga and watching films as her favorite hobbies. She is also an avid environmentalist and a member of a local conservationist society. Beth states "it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to do our bit to look after the environment and preserve our local natural areas".