The N.H. Film and Television Office is now accepting submissions for the 2015 New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival.
Now in its eighth year, the festival has become one of the marquee film festivals in the state, shining a spotlight on local film making and rewarding future members of the industry for their craft.
All films and supporting materials must be submitted electronically or arrive at the N.H. Film and Television Office at 19 Pillsbury St. in Concord by 4 p.m. March 31. Mailed submissions must be postmarked by March 31. There is no entry fee.
Students currently enrolled in grades 9-12 at any of the state’s public or private high schools, as well as New Hampshire homeschooled students ages 14 to 18, may participate. Submissions do not have to have been created as part of a school project, but cannot be longer than seven minutes, including titles and credits. They must have been produced after May 24, 2014, the date of last year’s festival.
Each year, the festival receives dozens of entries from student filmmakers across the state. A panel of judges made up of New Hampshire film industry professionals reviews all submissions and selects those that will be screened. Originality, cinematic storytelling and technical execution are key scoring categories. Top films will be shown at the festival, which takes place at Red River Theatres in Concord on May 23, beginning at noon.
Festival awards include Jury Award Winner for Best Film, Jury Award Runner-up, Jury Award Finalists and Public Service Announcement Award. Award-winning films will be screened at the New Hampshire Film Festival in Portsmouth and the SNOB (Somewhat North of Boston) Film Festival in Concord.
In addition to providing students with a public venue for showing their work, the festival is also a great way for students to build their resumes and make their college applications stand out.
Rules and guidelines, film submission forms and other information about the New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival can be found online at nhstudentfilm.com.
