Kent County Teen Film Festival

 

Teen Film FestivalKent County Teen Film Festival
Saturday, February 22, 2014, 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM


All Kent County teens in grades 6-12 are invited to enter films in the Kent County Teen Film Festival. A jury will review all submitted entries and select films to be screened at the Festival. Prizes will be awarded for the best films in various categories. The Kent County Teen Film Festival is free and open to the public, so please join us at 10:30 AM on February 22, 2014 at Celebration! Cinema North (2121 Celebration Dr. NE).

Application and submission deadline for films:
Friday, January 17, 2014
 

 

Kent County Teen Film Festival Rules: (See FAQs for more information)

Participants:

  • All short films must be written, directed, and edited by teens in grades 6-12.
  • The filmmaker/director must be a resident of Kent County.
  • All entries must be teen-produced, and may be either a group project or individual work.
  • Adult guidance and instruction are permissible, but the planning, production (including writing, filming, special effects, sound and editing) and selection of the subject matter must reflect teen effort. Note, however, that adults are permitted to act in your film.

Work:

  • Submitted films must be created after January 1, 2013.
  • Films may be on any topic, but must be G or PG-rated in language and subject matter or they will be disqualified. Films will be previewed for content.
  • All editing must be done before submitting the film.
  • Title pages and credits should be included in your film.
  • Unless relevant to the plot, please do not include bloopers in your submitted film.
  • Films may be up to 10 minutes in length including credits.
  • Films must be submitted in one of the following file formats:
    PREFERREDACCEPTED

    .avi (Audio Video Interleave File)
    .mov (Apple QuickTime Movie)
    .wmv (Windows Media Video File)

    DivX
    .mpeg (MPEG movie)
    .m2p (MPEG-2 Program Stream File)
    .mp4 (MPEG-4 Video File
    .rm (Real Media File)
    .swf (Shockwave Flash Movie)

    Note: video and audio quality should be as high as possible to ensure a solid screening of your film.
  • Films must be submitted on a USB flash ("thumb") drive. Please be aware that the library is not responsible for lost or misdirected media.
  • Each filmmaker may submit up to, and no more than, two films.
  • You must obtain permission to use copyrighted music in your film or should plan to use your own original music. Additionally, you can use copyright-free, public domain, trade-friendly, or creative commons copyright music. For suggestions of places to find such music, please refer to the "Copyrighted Music" section at the bottom of this page.

Submission:

  • Entrants must complete and submit an entry form and a release form for each film. If under 18, a parent or legal guardian must also sign the release form.
  • Each film should be submitted on a separate USB flash drive with the corresponding entry form and release form. USB flash drives submitted without these forms will not be considered.
  • Please send the Entry Form, Release Form, and USB flash drive(s) by mail (or deliver in person) to one of the following four locations:

KDL Cascade Township Branch
Attn: Tricia Kannegieter
2870 Jacksmith Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI  49546

KDL Krause Memorial Branch
Attn: Heather Wood-Gramza
140 E. Bridge St.
Rockford, MI  49341
 

KDL Wyoming Branch
Attn: Monica Walen
3350 Michael Ave. SW
Wyoming, MI  49509

GRPL Main Library
Attn: Jessica Liddell
111 Library St. NE
Grand Rapids, MI  49503

All submissions (including completed forms) must be postmarked or delivered in person to one of the above addresses by FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014.

DO NOT SEND YOUR ONLY COPY: The library cannot be held responsible for any damage that might occur to submissions.


Judging & Awards:

  • All films will be previewed by a jury made up of select individuals, including but not limited to: Grand Rapids Public Library staff, Kent District Library staff, and Kent County community members.
  • Every attempt will be made to show all entries at the Kent County Teen Film Festival on Saturday, February 22, 2014, but due to time constraints, the Festival reserves the right to limit the number of films shown. Library staff will notify all entrants in advance whether their film will be shown.
  • Entries will be judged by a panel of judges during the Festival on February 22, 2014. At the end of the Festival, prizes will be awarded for the best films in various categories.


Copyrighted Music:
The Kent County Teen Film Festival requires all filmmakers to obtain permission to use copyrighted music in their films. Filmmakers can also use their own original music. Additionally, copyright-free, public domain, trade-friendly, or creative commons copyright music can be used. Sources for copyright-free music may be found at:

WKTV (local television station with an on-site copyright-free music library for public use)
Internet Archive Community Audio
Creative Commons Music


If you have any questions, please email teenfilmfestival@kdl.org.

 

Lights, Camera, Action!