• by Larissa Faw , June 12, 2014

Spirits brand New Amsterdam Vodka is throwing its support behind the 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP), a filmmaking contest happening in 120 cities in 2014, where more than 60,000 people will compete to make high-quality, short films in just 48 hours.

New Amsterdam Vodka will sponsor events in all U.S.-based 48HFP cities and will introduce the "It's Your Town" Competition, a national filmmaking contest that asks participants to bring the New Amsterdam brand platform to life onscreen.

The top five teams from 25 select cities will be invited to produce short docu-style films that provide an insider's view to the people and places that make a city different, focusing on the local stories outsiders wouldn't normally see. 

Then, at the close of the competition, a screening of a selection of these films will be shown at the 48HFP's culminating celebration: Filmapalooza 2015. These films will also be available to view on New Amsterdam's Web site and social-media channels.

"Brought together by creativity, skill and a sense of adventure, the 48 Hour Film Project celebrates those who embody the New Amsterdam platform,” said Mark Ruppert, co-executive producer, 48 Hour Film Project. “They thrive on excitement," he added. "In tandem with New Amsterdam, we're thrilled to give our filmmakers the opportunity to bottle the pride and ownership they feel for their own cities, and share it on screen with a wider audience."

New Amsterdam’s 48HFP partnership is an extension of the brand's "It's Your Town" advertising campaign that "celebrates a generation that revels in a night out on the town, but with a sense of responsibility and pride in the community."

"The 'It's Your Town' campaign focuses on the feeling of ownership of your city, local pride and the unabashed celebration of socializing, because with New Amsterdam Vodka -- it's your town," said Gerard Thoukis, senior director of marketing, New Amsterdam Spirits. "We partnered with 48HFP to bring this platform to life in a highly visual and compelling way."

Last year, New Amsterdam Vodka and San Francisco-based agency MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER launched the brand's first national TV advertising campaign centered on this "It's Your Town" concept. Directed by British director Nima Nourizadeh and featuring music by Fitz and the Tantrums and rapper Crown, the ads showed images by party photographer The Cobra Snake under proclamations such as "going out is your civic duty" and "model citizen." The campaign included five national TV spots, as well as out-of-home, digital, point-of-sale, and social media initiatives.