Young people with a passion for film can receive exposure and even special prizes for their work as part of the Film Your Issue 2008 Competition.

The competition is open to everyone between the ages of 14 and 25. Films should be submitted at filmyourissue.com and may be about anything of the participants̢۪ choosing. Recommended subjects, however, can be found on the Web site and deal with a wide range of pressing issues such as global warming, animal welfare and civil rights.

Since its founding in 2006 by journalist and social entrepreneur Heathcliff Roth, various organizations have partnered with Film Your Issue (FYI) in an effort to encourage young people to express their opinions on things that matter to them. Roth developed the idea in hopes that the films would promote positive changes in areas that are often overlooked or have become problematic in society.

The list of partners includes USA Today, Myspace, MTV, the Humane Society, the NAACP and others. Several other organizations like the National Resource Defense Council have sponsored their own issues on the Web site and will feature selected films to be exhibited on their own Web sites with possible internships for those that meet a predetermined criteria.

Prizes for selected recipients include internships at USA Today, a $5,000 college scholarship from the Gates Foundation, their work broadcast on Starz and several more. A complete list of prizes and requirements may be found on the Web site.

Films should be submitted no later than April 14 to be accepted for review.

For more information go to www.filmyourissue.com