Helvetia 2022, a world stamp exhibition slated for next May 18-22, will feature about 2,000 exhibition frames – but it’s the show’s video competition catching some collectors’ eyes.
Called “Philamovie,” the competition is open to everyone aged 30 and under residing in one of the more than 60 countries, including Canada, participating in Helvetia 2021. Participants can submit up to two videos – with each of them no longer than one minute – exploring philately or postal history in some way. There is no fee to participate.
“The objective of the competition is to promote our hobby, especially among young people, and give them the opportunity to present the themes of philately and postal history from their point of view in the form of a short video,” reads the Helvetia website.
The entries will be judged by a five-person jury based on “content and documentation” (50 per cent), “originality and theme development” (30 per cent), “editing” (10 per cent) and “audio” (10 per cent).
Participants are divided into four geographical regions, including:
- Asia and Oceania;
- America;
- Europe and Africa; and
- Switzerland.
For each region, three monetary prizes ($750 US for first place, $500 US for second and $250 US for third) will be presented to the appropriate national commissioners, who will then hand off the money to the winners.
The top three national commissioners with the most entries submitted on behalf of their countries will also win monetary prizes of the same amount.
Charles Verge, the vice-chair and vice-president of the Toronto-based Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation, is Canada’s Helvetia commissioner.
Entries must be submitted to philamovie@helvetia2022.ch by the end of the year – Dec. 31. The full video competition and exhibition rules are outlined at helvetia2022.ch.
Helvetia, to be held in the border town of Lugano, in southern Switzerland’s Italian-speaking Ticino region, will be the first Swiss-based world exhibition in nearly half a century. The show’s theme celebrates the 160th anniversary of the 1862 “Sitting Helvetia” issue, the first perforate Swiss stamp and the first to bear the name Helvetia, which is still used today.
The word Helvetia, which is also engraved on the country’s coins, is Switzerland’s Latin name.