Film Festival

Overview

The Middle School VILS Film Festival is a film competition for middle school students. You enter in one of three categories, and every entry is scored on the same rubric.

Students can submit their original video projects in the following categories:

• Best in Animation/Motion Graphics
• Best in Documentary/News
• Best in Narrative/Story

Prizes go to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category.

🎨 Best in Animation/Motion Graphics

Create an animated video using computer animation, hand-drawn animation, or motion graphics. It can be a fun story, a message, or an artistic expression.

Video Duration: Maximum of 5 minutes

Judging Criteria: Creativity, animation quality, and storytelling.

📽️ Best in Documentary/News

Make a documentary about a real-life person, event, or community issue. You can also create a news-style video covering an important topic.

Video Duration: Maximum of 5 minutes

Judging Criteria: Research, clarity, and impact.

🎭 Best in Narrative/Story

Tell a fictional story using video. This can include drama, action, comedy, horror, science fiction, or any other genre you can think of. Your video should have a clear plot, characters, and a resolution.

Video Duration: Maximum of 5 minutes

Judging Criteria: Storytelling, creativity, and acting (if applicable).

📝 Judging Rubric

Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Flow & Coherency: Well-planned storyline that flows smoothly. (0-30 points)
• Creativity: Originality and creativity in presenting the story or events. (0-30 points)
• Technical Merit - Video: Effective use of camera angles, lighting, and editing. (0-30 points)
• Technical Merit - Audio: Clear and appropriate use of sound effects, music, and voice clarity. (0-30 points)
• Overall Impact: The video should evoke an appropriate response from the viewer and meet the intended category. (0-30 points)
• Written Summary: A well-written summary that describes the video’s intent and creation process, with minimal grammatical errors. (0-30 points)

📅 Deadlines & Guidelines

Submission Deadline: Mid-January — check this year’s exact date with your teacher.

Judging Period: Late February into early March.

Film Festival Date: Late March, at Singley Academy — check this year’s exact date with your teacher.

Guidelines:

• Videos must be original and cannot exceed 5 minutes in length.
• Submissions should not include illegal behavior, prejudice, violence, weapons, or inappropriate content.
• Each video should start with a title page, including the student’s name, school, and title of the video.
• Submit your video and a 200-word summary describing the project through the provided Google Folder link.
• Entries must include up to 3 students who worked on the project.