Discover a Different New York - I Love NY Grand Prize

Last Spring Sean Cunningham and Justin Hartough were classmates in Cinema 451: Advanced Film and Video Making. There in the Binghamton University lecture hall basement the two practiced their craft with dreams of breaking into the film industry. Just five months later both are now prize-winning filmmakers.

Separately and unknowingly, Cunningham and Hartough entered a competition to find a new "I LOVE NY" TV commercial and both were recently chosen from a panel of judges that included Hollywood heavy weights such as actress and writer Tina Fey, director Doug Liman and actor and filmmaker Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Cunningham, who graduated in May, won the grand prize with his 60-second film, titled "Discover a Different NY". Hartough, a senior who plays an active role with Binghamton Television (BTV), won the Student Filmmaker Award with Crab Meadow a short film inspired by a beach located in his hometown of Huntington LI. I wanted to show New York as more than just New York City, but New York as just a beautiful place, Hartough said.

The idea was to create a short film that would powerfully reflect the "I Love NY" theme. Like Crab Meadow Cunninghams film does not include a single shot of the Big Apple, but instead captures the natural beauty of Upstate New York. It opens at a backyard graduation party, where a young man dressed in a Binghamton University cap and gown is asked what he plans to do now. The response - "I'm going to New York (city)". The film then takes us everywhere but NYC and the young actor taking that trip is Michael Parish, Cunninghams roommate for the two years he lived in College-in-the-Woods.

Cunningham and Hartough both fell in love with filmmaking at Binghamton and credit the cinema department for helping them to develop and nurture the skills needed to make quality films. The department is small but tough, you really need to focus and the production classes are not easy, but the whole process really makes you better, Hartough said.

For now both young filmmakers are preparing to enjoy the fruits of their labor. As the grand prizewinner, Cunninghams film will make its nationwide debut during television coverage of the Macy's parade and will also be shown on flights operated by JetBlue Airways, a competition sponsor, along with screenings at NY film festivals and the Independent Film Channel. Cunningham will receive new filmmaking equipment, as well as free flights to several major festivals. Hartough will also be given an HD camera, lunch with a NY Post film critic and a mentorship with producer Doug Liman, best known for films The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

While Hartough is thankful for the head start on what may be a very bright filmmaking future, its the recognition from fellow filmmakers, which he values most. "When you spend your life watching movies and making movies, and somebody gives you an award for it, it changes everything."