6 Film Production Competitions for High Schoolers
Are you an aspiring filmmaker with a unique perspective of the world? Does the idea of sharing that viewpoint excite you? If so, you might be able to improve your college admissions prospects—and maybe even earn some extra tuition money—while doing something you love.
Why Should You Enter a Film Production Competition?
Film competitions are a demonstrable way to share your passion and skills. It’s one thing to say that you love film and are in a film club, but another to create an actual project that shows your perspective and talents. Athletes and musicians have an easier time quantifying their ability; they can list that they were a varsity athlete, or that they made state orchestra. It’s a little trickier for filmmakers, as there aren’t clearly-denoted levels. It could be especially difficult for you to demonstrate your film interests if you live in a more remote area, where there aren’t many clubs.
A film competition is one way to show how your skills stack up against other students. It’s true that these competitions can be extremely selective. But even if you don’t win, you may still have produced something of quality, which could still serve you well on college applications—perhaps in an arts supplement. If you’re considering submitting an arts supplement, be sure to get the feedback of an honest professional or film mentor. Arts supplements will only help your application if they are exceptional, and will hurt you if they’re only so-so.
If you’re ready to gear up for a film production competition, here are 6 you might consider:
6 Film Production Competitions for High Schoolers
1. American Sleep Medicine Foundation High School Video Contest
Each year, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine holds a contest where students are invited to submit videos about the importance of sleep. The winner of the “Sleep Works For You” Video Contest receives $1000 to be split evenly between the student and the school. The second place winner earns $500, and the People’s Choice submission receives $250.
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Competition Type: National
2. Brain Awareness Video Contest
Are you adept at distilling complex scientific subjects into bite-sized pieces of information that anyone can understand? If so, consider entering the Brain Awareness Video Contest, in which students are tasked with explaining a neuroscience concept in layman’s terms. Working with someone from the prestigious Society for Neuroscience, each contestant will create an educational video regarding a topic of their choice.
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Competition Type: National
3. C-SPAN’s StudentCam
Politically active students might want to consider entering the C-SPAN StudentCam competition. A video documentary contest, this competition invites students to create videos about local and national news topics. Submissions should be 5-6 minutes in length and address a particular theme. Prizes total $100,000.
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Competition Type: National
4. Meridian Stories
This company hosts 20 digital storytelling contests each year, with subjects ranging from language arts to history to math. Teams work to complete their challenge over a 3-4 week period, and compete against other schools in the Meridian network. Talk to your guidance counselor to find out if your school is a Meridian program subscriber.
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Competition Type: Local, National
5. Speak Truth to Power Video Contest
If you admire the work of acclaimed politician Robert F. Kennedy, you might be interested in this video contest, which encourages students to celebrate other human rights defenders. Each participant will create a video between 3-5 minutes in length that connects RFK to another human rights advocate. The grand-prize winner will have the honor of seeing their video played at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Competition Type: Local, National
6. World of 7 Billion Student Video Contest
To compete in the World of 7 Billion Student Video Contest, participants must discuss global challenges and present possible solutions. Topics include advancing the roles of women and girls around the world, feeding 10 billion people, and preventing pollution. Each video must be one minute or less in length, and monetary prizes are awarded to the first, second, and third place winners.
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Competition Type: National
How Can Students Find the Best Competitions to Enter?
Most of the competitions listed above are national; if you’re not totally confident in your skills, you may first want to test out a smaller local event. Ask your guidance counselor for resources, check with a film mentor, or consider enlisting the help of our Mentorship Program. Students are paired with a successful college mentor who can speak from experience. We guide students to build their strongest high school profile possible, by giving academic and extracurricular insight. We can even strategize with students on major projects, such as how to tackle a film competition.
Looking for help navigating the road to college as a high school student? Download our free guide for 9th graders and our free guide for 10th graders. Our guides go in-depth about subjects ranging from academics, choosing courses, standardized tests, extracurricular activities, and much more!
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