Five film students from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, have won the grand prize for MOFILM Live’s first U.S. college competition for an ad they created for Campbell Soup, depicting a child feigning sickness to get a bowl of soup. The team beat 12 other competing schools schools, including teams from Pepperdine, UCLA, Los Angeles Film School, and the New York Film Academy to win the top prize – a trip for two of the winners to attend the South-By-Southwest Film Festival, including air, hotel and festival passes.

“I’m really proud of our students, says Frank Chindamo, associate professor at Dodge College and student mentor for the event. “I suspected they had a good chance to win the second I heard their concept.” Avatar and Titanic producer Jon Landau spoke at the event, encouraging students with his own climb from film student to film mogul.

The MOFILM competition started with a contest among teams at each school, with the grand prize winner then selected from among the winners of the 12 competitions. In September 2011 Chapman film production students Sten Olson ’15 , Adolfo Kahan ’14, Jonathan Amato ’15, Jordan Evans ’15), and Hannah McDonald ’15 each won a high-definition camera presented by MOFILM president and co-founder Andy Baker for their winning 30-second spot selected from work created by countless Chapman teams. When awarding the group Baker classified the spot as “totally TV-ready.”

At each school, student teams were provided with cameras, laptops, and a “live brand brief” from Campbell’s Soup Company to help start them on the process of creating a real television advertisement. Briefings covered everything from brainstorming to editing.

MOFILM, a company which links independent filmmakers’ creativity with name brands and social causes, runs major video competitions around the world each year with sizable cash prizes, travel opportunities, and chances to be recognized by name brands. MOFILM winning contestants also become part of MOFILM:pro, MOFILM’s production arm that directly commissions filmmakers with briefs from outside brands like Campbell Soup Company and Chevrolet.