NEW YORK–July 19, 2013–Nickelodeon announced today the top five finalists in two categories (under 18 years of age, and 18 and over) for the first-ever global SpongeBob SquarePants-themed short film competition, SpongeBob SquareShorts: Original Fan Tributes. More than 1,000 SpongeBob-inspired short films–celebrating the positivity and optimism of SpongeBob–were submitted by fans and filmmakers of all ages from all corners of the world during the submission period, which ran from May 6 to June 28.
Entries were received in animation, stop-motion, and live-action, among others. Featuring original storylines, the top five finalist videos in both categories highlight SpongeBob’s endearing attributes: humor, overflowing happiness and persistent positivity. Finalists were chosen by a panel of judges comprised of Nickelodeon executives from all corners of the globe. Videos were judged on originality & creativity, incorporation of SpongeBob’s attributes, and overall appeal.
Now through Friday, August 2, at 8:00p.m. EDT, fans can visit www.spongebobsquareshorts.com to watch the finalist videos and vote for their favorites in each category via the website and/or via Twitter. To cast a vote via Twitter, tweet the unique hashtag associated with each of the short films. A winner from each category will be announced by August 9th and awarded a $2,500 cash prize and a trip for four people to a screening event at the recently announced SpongeBob Fan Shellabration at Universal Studios in Hollywood, Calif.
The finalists for the inaugural SpongeBob SquareShorts: Original Fan Tributes competition include:
Top Five finalists in the “18 and over” category – Twitter voting hashtag
Diligence by Joshua (United States) – #SquareShortsVOTE1
Finally Home by Nicole (South Africa) – #SquareShortsVOTE2
SpongeBob My Best Friend by Arisdagues (Mexico) – #SquareShortsVOTE3
SpongeBob – Old Krabby Patty (SpongeBob – Alter Krabbenburger) by Jürgen (Germany) – #SquareShortsVOTE4
The Interview by Brett (United States) – #SquareShortsVOTE5
Top Five finalists in the “under 18 years of age” category
The Krabby Patty Formula Music Video by Keith (United States) – #SquareShortsVOTE6
SpongeBob Jellyfish Catcher (SpongeBob Quallenjagd) by Alessio (Switzerland) – #SquareShortsVOTE7
The Silver Screen by Matthew (United Kingdom) – #SquareShortsVOTE8
The Krabby Commercial by David (United States) – #SquareShortsVOTE9
Get Out of Here! By David (United States) – #SquareShortsVOTE10
For additional details on the official rules and voting rules, please visit www.SpongeBobSquareShorts.com.