Canadian Entries Sweep Mercury Film Festival

The votes have been counted and Canadians have swept both the consumer and partner categories of the 2011 Mercury Films Festival.

Mercury Marine announced Oct. 27 during a media event in Fort Lauderdale that Lonnie King and Cody Graham have won the Mercury Films Festival promotion for their consumer and partner videos.

Mercury invited consumers, partners and employees to submit their own on-the-water videos this summer for a chance to win a free engine, fishing trips and more.

King, a resident of Orleans, Ontario, won the consumer category for his “Merky Dreams” video that starred his two sons, 9-year-old Kelsey and 7-year-old Kalen. The video tells the story of a young boy’s nightmare and how Mercury comes to the rescue.

The family won a Mercury engine of their choice for being voted the top consumer video.

“Our entry was inspired by the fact that we were having troubles with our current non-Mercury motor and to win this contest could not come at a better time,” King said. “Having a dependable motor would certainly provide my family peace of mind.”

The King family accepted the award at an event on Oct. 27 at the International Game Fish Association headquarters in Fort Lauderdale.

Graham of Victoria, British Columbia, won the Mercury partner category for his “Mercury Arctic Adventure” documentary detailing Shockwave Seats President David Smith and Discovery Channel adventurer Bear Grylls’ 8,000-mile record run from the North Atlantic, through the Northwest Passage, to the Pacific Northwest in a RIB equipped with triple Mercury Verado engines.

"Winning the Merc Film contest is a testament to the hard work David Smith has put in over the years living on the leading edge of marine innovation, which includes crazy adventures,” said Graham. “Filming during the arctic mission will be an experience I keep with me for the rest of my life and I'd like to thank Mercury for the opportunity to showcase the journey and David Smith's story."

Graham, the director of Media One Multimedia which produced the video, won a VIP trip for two to the 2012 Bassmaster Classic.

More than 300 videos were submitted during the Mercury Films Festival and tens of thousands of people visited the contest website during the four-month promotion.

You can view “Merky Dreams” online at www.mercfilms.com/contests/showentry/828447 and “Mercury Arctic Adventure” at www.mercfilms.com/contests/showentry/884980.