20 Film Production Competitions for High Schoolers in 2024
What’s Covered:
- Why Should You Enter a Film Production Competition?
- 20 Film Production Competitions for High Schoolers
- How Do Film Production Competitions Affect My Admissions Chances?
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 20 you might consider:
20 Film Production Competitions for High Schoolers
1. American Sleep Medicine Foundation High School Video Contest
Grades: 9-12
Type: National
Each year, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine holds a contest where students are invited to submit videos about the importance of sleep. Winners are selected in three categories—most creative, most informative, and most popular—and each winner receives an award of $750.
2. Brain Awareness Video Contest
Grades: 9-12
Type: International
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.
The award for the first-place video is $4,000.
3. C-SPAN’s StudentCam
Grades: 9-12
Type: National
Politically active middle or high school 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 between five and six minutes in length and address the theme “Looking Forward while Considering the Past” Prizes total $100,000.
4. Meridian Stories
Grades: 9-12
Type: National
This company hosts 20 digital storytelling contests each year, with subjects ranging from language arts to history to STEAM. Teams work to complete their challenge over a three- to four-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.
5. World of 8 Billion Student Video Contest
Grades: 9-12
Type: National and International
To compete in the World of 8 Billion Student Video Contest, participants must discuss global challenges and present possible solutions. Topics include explaining how population growth affects climate migration, health, and invasive species. Each video must be one minute or less in length, and monetary prizes are awarded to the first-, second-, and third-place winners.
6. The All-American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF)
Grades: 9-12
Type: International
This festival is a top international film festival for high school students—the largest in the world of its kind. This New York-based opportunity allows students to connect with professionals, technology, universities, and scholarship opportunities. AAHSFF is linked to several other internal film competitions, like the AAHSFF Experience Contest, the AAHSFF Film Invitational, and more!
7. ConnectHer Film Festival
Grades: 9-12 (or between the ages of 13 and 25)
Type: International
If you are a young feminist with a penchant for filmmaking, you might be interested in the ConnectHer Film Festival. Applicants between the ages of 13 and 25, including high schoolers, are invited to submit a film addressing one of several suggested women’s issues of three to six minutes in length. Applicants can potentially receive thousands of dollars worth of scholarship money and attend the ConnectHER Red Carpet Awards Event.
8. Project Yellow Light Video Competition
Grades: 9-12
Type: National
This video contest challenges high schoolers to create a short PSA—between 10 and 25 seconds—encouraging their peers to avoid distracted driving, specifically using their phones while behind the wheel. Students can compete in teams of up to four for an $8,000 grand prize. Furthermore, the winning entry may be turned into an Ad Council PSA and distributed to roughly 1,600 television stations nationwide.
9. Boston International Kids Film Festival
Grades: 9-12 (or age 18 and under)
Type: International
Young filmmakers from across the globe are welcomed to a weekend of screenings and workshops while learning about film’s power to tell a story. Film submissions must be family-friendly and awards are given in the following categories: best student narrative, best student documentary, best student animation, and The Peggy Charren Award for Excellence.
10. One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest
Grades: 9-11
Type: International
The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest invites submissions from students in a variety of categories, including a high school category for students in grades 9 through 11. Films must be solution-based explorations of environmental and sustainability problems in climate, energy, food, transportation, waste, water, and wildlife and ecosystems.
Films must be between three and eight minutes long and winners can receive cash prizes and scholarships.
11. Thunder Bay International Film Festival Student Film Competition
Grades: 9-12
Type: International
This film competition is open to students across the globe, however, its theme is “Life in the Great Lakes.” Films must be under three minutes long, including credits. All genres of film are accepted and students can work independently or in teams. Cash prizes are awarded to winners.
12. Colorado High School Film Festival
Grades: 9-12
Type: International
This film competition hosted by the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Arts & Media celebrates the work of young filmmakers and provides exposure to their work. In 2024, it received 357 entries from 37 countries, of which more than 40 films were screened and three winners announced. Winners received credits for film gear rentals and scholarships to media camps designed to preview the college programs offered by CU Denver.
13. Austin Film Festival Young Filmmakers Competition
Grades: 9-12 (or ages 13-18)
Type: International
The art and craft of storytelling are at the forefront of this prestigious high school film competition. Students can submit films in animated, documentary, and narrative categories—they’re judged on the strength of their narrative, characters, and filmmaking. Submissions must be no longer than 12 minutes.
14. South Carolina Young Filmmakers Project
Grades: 9-12
Type: State
Young South Carolinian filmmakers will want to look into this film competition for Palmetto State residents. Competitors are tasked with creating a short film—two minutes max—telling a story in any genre while using a guitar pick as a prop—there must be at least one three-second shot of one in the film.
First prize is $500, second prize is $300, and third prize is $200.
15. The High School 48 Hour Film Project
Grades: 9-12
Type: National
High school filmmakers are put to the test in this unique film competition as they race against the clock to create a film-focused challenge in just 48 hours. Three competitions are held throughout the year for storyboarding, screenwriting, and film. Films must be between four and seven minutes, not including credits. Winning entries are chosen based on their artistic and technical merit along with their adherence to the assignment.
16. The International Ocean Film Festival Student Film Competition
Grades: 9-12
Type: International
Make a big splash in filmmaking and tell your ocean-related story in this film competition. Students can participate in two categories: TikTok and Filmmaker. TikTok entries are minute-long videos, while Filmmaker entries can be between one and five minutes long. Both categories require students to touch on an ocean-related topic and can be made by a student working independently or as a member of a team.
Winners receive cash prizes. First place is awarded $500, second place $300, and third place $200.
17. Create Real Impact Video Contest
Grades: 9-12
Type: National
Young filmmakers are challenged to create a compelling PSA to showcase creative solutions to distracted driving—the number one killer of young people is car crashes caused by reckless and distracted driving. Submissions must be 30 seconds long and are judged on their technical skill, creativity and cohesiveness, and the effectiveness of their message.
18. Arizona Student Film Festival
Grades: 9-12
Type: State
This film festival for Arizona high schoolers invites them to submit their best short films (under eight minutes long). Students can work together to create an entry, however, only one person can enter the film. The winner of Best High School Film receives a $1,000 scholarship to the school of their choice.
19. EDU Film Festival
Grades: 9-12
Type: State
Gain film festival experience, meet other young creatives, and compete for Best-in-Fest awards at this film competition for Minnesota high schoolers and residents under age 19. Competitors can submit entries into one of two categories: micro film and short film. Micro film entries must be less than a minute long, while short film entries can be no longer than seven minutes.
20. High Tide Student Film Festival
Grades: 9-12
Type: State
Southern California high school filmmakers are invited to compete in this film festival hosted by the Aquarium of the Pacific. Students can work as individuals or in teams of two to four students to create a short film—three minutes maximum—focused on one of three topics: my favorite ocean species, ocean heroes and superheroes, and coastal and port cities.
Students can submit films in any genre and winners receive generous awards—including a $2,000 Gold Award, $1,500 Silver Award, and $1,000 Bronze Award.
How Do Film Production Competitions Affect My Admissions Chances?
Most of the competitions listed above are national, which makes them harder to win than state or local ones. In general, extracurricular activities like competitions can be separated into four tiers, with 1 representing the highest and 4 the lowest level of impact and prestige.
Tier 1 activities are particularly rare and typically showcase high achievement on at least a national level. Tier 2 activities are similarly impressive, just a bit more common, like being a major club’s president or placing in a state competition. Tier 3 activities are typically lower-level leadership positions or regional recognition. Finally, Tier 4 activities are typically unselective opportunities, like general club membership or volunteering.
Depending on the prestige of the film competition, regional ones would likely fall in tiers 3-4 and national ones would likely fall in tiers 1-2. If you’d like some clarity surrounding how your competition, work, volunteer, and club experience (in film or otherwise) affect your chances of getting into your dream school, check out our chancing engine for free!
