SEATTLE CONTEST ACCEPTS ENTRIES >>>

Cinematic lore tells us that upon witnessing D.W. Griffiths's 1915 epic The Birth of A Nation, President Woodrow Wilson called it "writing history with lightning." Now you have a chance to (re)write your own history with film. Until Friday April 1, Seattle's Museum of History and Industry will accept entries for its first "History Is _____" Film Competition.

So what goes in the blank? Insert a word or short phrase of your choosing, then tell your unique story in any genre between 60 seconds and 5 minutes. With so many other contests stifling potential creativity and heaping rules on participants, this one stays as loose and free-form as its title.

The Awards Gala happens May 7. MOHAI's providing some very cool prizes for its inaugural event, like a SIFF screening of your winning work in May, an exclusive meeting with documentary maestro Ken Burns, and a filmmaker's best friend: moola. And Celluloid Seattle, an upcoming exhibit at the museum, will house the best shorts, making you literally a part of history.              

According to Helen Divjak, MOHAI's Manager of Programs and Public Engagement, "History tends to be seen as this stuffy thing." She hopes to dispel such a notion with this competition. "History is happening all the time - every day, to everybody," she says.

So go capture yours...with lightning. For more information go here.