There’s nothing that gets us going here at Task & Purpose quite like some good-natured rivalry, competition, and edge-of-your-seat drama — and no, we’re not talking about the soldiers who recently went toe-to-toe with a raccoon in their Stryker.
The 18th Airborne Corps held a competition on Twitter this week, called the DragonCannes Film Festival — not to be confused with the actual Cannes Film Festival, though it’s clearly just as big of a deal. The goal was to see which unit within the corps had the best “hype” video to showcase their soldiers and all the cool shit they do. After three days of voting, everyone will cast their ballot for the last time on Friday to determine the winner out of the three finalists. The soldier who produced the winning video will get a four-day weekend and a customized coffee mug, and the unit that wins will have eternal glory and bragging rights across the entire Army.
Who doesn’t love bragging rights?
The competition kicked off on June 1 with videos from the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 3rd Infantry Division, and 10th Mountain Division. By the end of the day, the Screaming Eagles had blown their competition out of the water with a video produced by Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Conner, and it’s no wonder why. Check out their video:
Day two was a nail biter, with the 44th Medical Brigade overtaking the 35th Signal Brigade by just one single vote. The medical brigade’s video was produced by Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Meaney:
But day three brought some of the best drama yet, with last-ditch attempts at redemption and wild-card submissions. Despite not belonging to the 18th Airborne Corps, the 4th Infantry Division in Colorado decided to throw their hat in the ring as well, and their video wasn’t too shabby if you ask me. And while the 3rd Infantry Division came in last place in votes on the first day, they took another swing at solidifying their place in the finals with a new video submission. The Dog Face Soldiers weren’t the only ones asking for a second chance — the 82nd Airborne Division got back into the game with a focus on history, produced by Sgt. James Walker. That video ultimately won their spot in today’s finals:
In just a few hours, at 1 p.m. EST, you’ll be able to cast your final vote for who you think should win this year’s DragonCannes Film Festival. Who do you think it will be?
Let the showdown commence.
Featured image: Photo illustration showing screenshots from U.S. Army submissions to the DragonCannes’ Film Festival laid over a scene from ‘America’s Got Talent’. (U.S. Army/America’s Got Talent via IMDB)
