Discover Walt Whitman’s remarkable life and the timeless poetry he created.
2022 Essay Contest
Congratulations to Corbin Weitenhagen of Everett, Washington for winning the East Rock Films 2022 Essay Contest! He made a brilliant video essay discussing the film Whiplash and why this work resonated with him.
We were extremely impressed with Corbin’s ability to tell a story, provide insightful commentary, and choose just the right shots to illustrate his points. Corbin is currently a sophomore in college.
Alice Adams from Allentown, Pennsylvania is our Finalist! She wrote a very engaging and insightful essay discussing how a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken in 1963 about a protesting Vietnamese Buddhist monk made a deep impression on her. Alice is a senior in high school.
We had five Honorable Mentions:
Seara Ricks of Cotonwood Heights, Utah wrote a very thoughtful essay on the fairy tale figure Cinderella and how cultures around the world have interpreted this story. Seara is a senior in high school.
Gabe Salazar of Monroe, Ohio made a fantastic video essay about Paul Simon’s album Graceland. Gabe is a senior in high school.
Kaia McMullen of Aiken, South Carolina made a very interesting video essay on “Kiki’s Delivery Service: A Lesson on Burnout, Simplicity, and Self-Discovery.” Kaia is a senior in high school.
Kim Sarah Lux of Madison, Wisconsin wrote an excellent essay about the classic book The Good Earth. Kim is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Olivia Radecki of Cincinnatti, Ohio made a very engaging video essay on Shakespeare’s Hamlet and why this play and character resonate with her. Olivia is a senior in high school.
There were three judges for this year’s essay contest:
Nora Krasniqi is a writer, painter, and filmmaker who resides in Berlin, Germany.
Alfred Robert Hogan is a journalist, media historian, and environmental activist.
Andrew D. Kaplan, Ph.D. is a writer-editor for the federal government, adjunct professor of communication, and documentary filmmaker.
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2021 Essay Contest Winners
Mara Palmieri of Sacramento, CA was the winner of our 2021 Essay Contest! View her winning essay here. There were also five Honorable Mentions – three written and two video essays. View the essays here.
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Who We Are
East Rock Films is an educational organization that seeks to inform and inspire viewers by bringing to life famous writers, artists, and their works. Previous films include In Search of Thoreau about the life and writings of famed writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau and In Search of Walt Whitman. We have also published The Hidden Light, a book that explores the intersection of religion and spirituality. A documentary on the life, work, and legacy of Edgar Allan Poe will be released next year.
Student Essay Contest
Please describe a work of art that especially speaks to you. This could be, but is not limited to, a novel, poem, painting, sculpture, musical composition, song, dance, film, play, short story, nonfiction book, or documentary. What about this work inspires you?
In your essay, please discuss:
1. Why did you choose this work of art?
2. What about the work of art most impresses you or captures your imagination?
3. Tell us about the writer or artist who created it – what is your impression of him or her?
4. What most stands out to you about this person’s life?
Also, please tell us briefly about your educational plans.
- What major are you considering to study in college and why?
- If currently in college, why did you choose your major over others?
Different Kinds of Eligible Essays (please choose one):
(1) Write a traditional essay (about 500 – 1000 words) that addresses the questions above.
(2) Create a video essay (about 3-10 minutes). Be creative! The video can take any form you like, possibly involve other people if you wish, so long as it answers the above questions. Use of music and imagery are encouraged but not required.
(3) Express yourself in a performance essay (about 3-10 minutes). Be imaginative! This video might take the form of a poem, song, dramatic monologue, or dance performance.
Evaluation Criteria
Essays will be evaluated based on how well the ideas are articulated; originality of thought; organization of essay; use of language (spoken or written); and how memorable the essay is.
Scholarship Award
We will choose one winner who will receive a scholarship of $500 (US) to be used for educational expenses.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must be a junior or senior in high school or a freshman or sophomore in an accredited college, university, or community college in the U.S. or Canada.
Your intended area of study or co-study should be in the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences such as:
- American Studies; Anthropology; Archaeology; Art; Art History; Classics; Communications/Media Studies; Creative Writing; Dance; East Asian Studies; Economics; English; Filmmaking/Photography; Film Studies; French Language / Literature; Geography; History; Humanities; Jewish Studies; Journalism; Linguistics; Literature/Comparative Literature; Music; Near Eastern Studies; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Religious Studies; Romance Languages; Russian Language and Literature; Sociology; Spanish Language and Literature; Theater/Performance Studies
You must agree to use the award money toward educational expenses, such as tuition, fees, books, applying to schools, etc.
Deadline
The deadline to submit an essay is January 15, 2023. The award winner will be announced in February and will be notified by email. The award will be sent in February, shortly after the announcement, and can be used for the spring, summer, or fall semesters.
We will publish the winning essay on this page along with your bio and photo.
We will also name any Honorable Mentions, notify them by email, and will publish those essays on this website.
How To Submit
With any essay, please include:
- Your full name
- High school or college you attend
- City and state/province /territory where you live
- Your high school grade or college year (if between years, state “rising” and the upcoming year)
- Main email address
- How you heard about this contest
Written Essay: Please email your written essay as an attachment to waltwhitmanfilm@gmail.com. (In your email, please include the requested information above.)
Video or Performance Essay: If unable to send via email due to large file size, please save your video on Google Drive or Dropbox and give access to waltwhitmanfilm@gmail.com to view and download. Be sure the system sends an email letting us know it is there! (And be sure to include the requested information listed above.)
Please note that your essay need not be exclusive. You can use it for any other purpose or contest, and your essay may be adapted from an assignment or report for school.
Questions
If you have any questions, please email us at waltwhitmanfilm@gmail.com. We look forward to receiving your essay!