Winners announced August 2nd in Austin, Texas film festival
On the surface, Best Friends’ Pup My Ride: Mills to Manhattan video sounds like an ordinary short film with an educational storyline. But it’s so much more. It’s the story of a multi-group rescue of more than 200 dogs from puppy mills in Missouri, who were transported by Best Friends to rescue groups in New York and onto forever homes from there.
Organizers of a nonprofit contest agreed, so much so that Pup My Ride: Mills to Manhattan was selected as one of 20 finalists in a film festival sponsored by Lights Camera Help, a company based in Austin, Texas.
Nonprofit groups and grassroots organizations were encouraged to submit, and 140 did, making it a tough competition. The top videos, including Pup My Ride: Mills to Manhattan, are being screened Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1, at the University of Texas at Austin.
Some well-known nonprofit and charity groups also entering videos and films include Aid to Artisans, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, United Way Capital Area, Texas Clean Air Cities Coalition, and the Los Angeles Urban League.
“We are up against some pretty stiff competition—really amazing stuff,” says Jon Dunn, manager of social media for Best Friends. “I think, though, that our videographers have a knack for capturing the emotion. If you have any kind of love for animals, our videos will make you melt.”
Best Friends’ video production manager Elissa Jones and videographer Jason Watt are attending the three-day festival, which ends Sunday, August 2, after the winners are announced. Those attending the festival will be acting as judges.
“Let's just hope it's an animal friendly crowd,” Dunn says. 
View the three part video nominated for the award.
Visit the film fest website Lights Camera Help.