NEW YORK, Nov. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Lost in a Dream," the theme song for Ha Phuong's new feature film, Finding Julia, takes center stage in a karaoke-style competition. Professional and amateur singers alike are invited to record themselves singing "Lost in a Dream," which can be found at www.findingjulia.net, edit their performance into a creative video, and send it to [email protected].

The deadline for entries is December 1, 2017. Five finalists will go on to give a live performance in mid-January, 2018. The singer with the winning video and best live performance will receive a prize of $20,000.

The 'Lost in a Dream Karaoke Competition,' is sponsored by Ha Phuong, who stars in Finding Julia. Ha Phuong, a superstar singer and actress in her native Vietnam, has many best-selling albums and popular videos. She is now an established New Yorker, actively engaged in building her U.S. career.

Ha Phuong is sponsoring this contest to give aspiring singers a platform, and to call attention to her film and new book, Finding Julia, based on the movie. All proceeds from the film, the book, and her music go to the Ha Phuong Foundation, which helps young people enter the fields of music and entertainment.  Along with programs in Los Angeles and Vietnam, she also sponsors the Ha Phuong Young Female Filmmakers Initiative, an educational and financial support program for aspiring women filmmakers, from high school graduation through graduate studies and beyond. This program is administered by the nonprofit New York Women in Film and Television.

All entrants are required to give permission for their videos to be featured on YouTube, Facebook, the program's website, and elsewhere, at the judges' discretion. Entrees will be based on voice quality, originality, entertainment value and production value. Five finalists will be selected to present a live performance at The Cutting Room in Manhattan in mid-January, 2018 where the judges will select the winner. 

In addition to Ha Phuong, judges include voice coach Alissa Grimaldi, a master class coach for performers in musical theater, opera, and acting. Alissa is also a performer and has been featured in many stage, musical theater, and operatic roles. Also judging: Milosz Jerioski, composer of "Lost in a Dream," veteran engineer/producer Jay Messina, who's worked on albums with Eddie Palmieri, Aerosmith, KISS, Miles Davis, John Lennon, Peter Frampton, Patti Smith, and Cheap Trick, and record producer Jack Douglas, who helped guide the careers of John Lennon, Aerosmith, Blue Öyster Cult,  and the New York Dolls, and Cheap Trick. 

Along with the $20,000 prize, the winner's video entry, taped live performance and background information will be sent to numerous talent managers for possible interest in helping to further their career ambitions.

SOURCE Ha Phuong