NYS filmmakers say "Wear a mask!"

Blank City director Celine Danhier among finalists

by Anne-Katrin Titze

99 Records founder Ed Bahlman KEEP THIS FAR APART (face mask by Anne-Katrin Titze)
99 Records founder Ed Bahlman KEEP THIS FAR APART (face mask by Anne-Katrin Titze) Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Blank City director Celine Danhier and Aliya Naumoff’s video We ❤ NY, with animation by Mike Perry, produced by Bunny Lake Films, is one of the five finalists in the Wear A Mask New York PSA open competition to help stop the spread of Covid-19. New York State Governor Andrew M Cuomo earlier this month appointed his daughter Mariah Kennedy Cuomo to head the search team that resulted in over 600 video submissions.

Celine Danhier and Aliya Naumoff’s We Love NY with animation by Mike Perry
Celine Danhier and Aliya Naumoff’s We Love NY with animation by Mike Perry

As of Saturday morning, May 23, there were over 100,000 votes cast in less than four days. The other finalists are You Can Still Smile by Natalia Bougadellis and Emory Parker of Blue Slate Films; We Are Compassion. We Are New York from Skyline99 Studios; That Guy by Plastic Tree Productions, and Ian Bell’s Do The Right Thing.

The Wear A Mask New York Ad Contest from the New York State Health Department states: “We are asking New Yorkers to choose their favourite from the five finalists … We hope you enjoy watching as much as we did and thank you for voting!”

The winning PSA will be announced on May 26 and the voting closes on May 25.

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