For Yale Cohn, Public Access Television is a channel dedicated to the Iowa City community but not enough use it as a local resource.

Cohn hopes to change that.

"PATV has a lot of opportunities for the community to learn about filmmaking, editing, and even provides an access to starting their own television program if they have the creative intent," he said

Cohn, an associate member of PATV’s Board of Directors and a serving member on PATV’s outreach committee, is one of the members helping to organize the film contest titled I Love Iowa City Film Contest, which encourages local filmmakers to make a short film of varying genres about Iowa City and submit it to the contest.

Cohn said the success of the organization’s screening events during the Iowa City’s Summer of the Arts festival inspired him to arrange a filmmaking contest.

The contest has been in the planning stages for roughly two months, he said, and PATV officials are beginning to reach out to local businesses for underwriting and sponsorship.

The deadline for submissions were initially set for Oct. 3, but because of a lack of submissions, that -has been extended to Oct. 22.

Cohn said PATV had expected to be swamped with submissions, and officials had thought they would need more time to screen submissions and make decisions about winning entries. So far, PATV has received around a dozen submissions, and officials hope to receive more in the coming weeks.

PATV is also partnering with a local venue to hold the screening.

Andre Perry, the executive director of the Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., helped PATV secure the Mill, 120 E. Burlington St., as the venue for the event. Perry also handles event bookings for the Mill.

Filmmakers must pay a $5 submission fee to participate, which Cohn said covers handling, processing, and screening the submissions as well as added pay for PATV staff who will contribute extra time and effort to the contest.

John Richard, a local filmmaker and photographer and the owner of Bocce Ball Multimedia Studio, is one participant who said he heard about the contest on Facebook.

"I am excited to see what people come up with, and I hope people will find more creative ways to describe why they like Iowa City in a short film," he said. Richard’s film is a conversation between two people that he was able to film and edit his submission in a single afternoon. He used a digital SLR camera to make it look more professional.

The event is open and free to the public, and it will showcase participating and winning movies at the Mill at 6 p.m. Nov. 6.