The inaugural Mekong Mini Movie Festival (Mekong Minis) is offering awards across several categories for the best submission that captures the essence of daily life and travel in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Mekong Minis is a competition for short films that celebrates the rich travel diversity of Greater Mekong Subregion.

“We love the power that a short video of less than 60 seconds can give new life to our most extraordinary Mekong memories. It's the reason why we're launching MekongMinis.com and hosting the Mekong Mini Movie Festival competition—to celebrate those inspiring, stunning, and just plain awesome Mekong moments shared by everyday travelers and citizens,” said Jens Thraenhart, executive director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) in Bangkok. “What's unique about the contest is that in addition to promoting the region, companies can promote their business by encouraging their guests and staff to add their own company hashtag.”

The Mekong Minis is open to professionals and amateur videographers. To enter the contest, share a short video (not more than 60 seconds) through Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube with the following hashtags:

• #mekongmoments,
• #minis,
• the #country or #destination, and
• either #business or #experience

Shared videos can include a meal with new friends from anywhere in the subregion. It may be a time-lapse of the Mekong River sunset, or a walking tour of a local market. The competition seeks films that are inventive, funny, uplifting, inspiring, and meaningful.

The contest will run in two stages. The first stage is for individual country submissions. It started on 25 January and will be held until 15 May 2018.  The second stage has also begun and will run until 15 November 2018. It is for regional submissions or videos - that cover at least three or more Mekong countries.

The Greater Mekong Subregion is comprised of Cambodia, the People's Republic of China (specifically Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Prizes include Mekong country experiences inclusive of interregional flights and accommodations, and the Irrawaddy Dolphin Trophy. Three winners per country (Viewer's Choice, Editor's Choice, and Industry Choice) will be announced during the Mekong Tourism Forum in June 2018 in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Delegates at the forum will vote for the winners of the regional categories, which will be announced during the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Viet Nam in January 2019.

Shortlisted videos will be posted on MekongMinis.com and shown at international screenings in collaboration with TravelMassive, a community of industry insiders, leaders, and innovators.

Contest rules are available at https://www.mekongtourism.org/mekongminimovie/.