EA has organised a new movie contest for fans of the Sims 2, and it's a big one. They encourage people to make short movies using the ingame tools of the Sims 2. The competition is held together with the USC School of Cinema-Television. You have to create a clip featuring the day of a life of a student. The prize is a big one - you can win $5,000 (yes, 5 grand), or a four-week associate intern position at Maxis. There's only one of these to give away. Runners-up can win either an nVidia powered computer without monitor, or one of three nVidia graphics card (GeForce 6600GT). The last three will be the ones who are best in either the Comedy, Drama or Documentary genres.

If you're planning to join in, first it's wise to make sure that you're in the US or Canada. You also have to be at least 13 to be allowed to participate, and at least 18 for the associate position. The judges will decide on Story, Character Development, Art Direction, Originality and Music, each of which counts for 20% of the result. You need to have both the Sims 2 and the Sims 2 University according to the rules. You have until midnight at 30 May (PST) to submit your entry. You can read the full set of rules, and some tips. The winners will be announced after the contest ends. Good luck if you're participating!