The Method Fest Film Festival: Youth Program
Short Film, Screenplay and Actor Competition
Click to download a printable Short Film Entry Form
Our Mission
Our mission in this competition is to provide an outlet for young filmmakers, writers and actors to share their work in a professional environment. Films are to be no longer than 12 minutes (screenplays no longer than 12 pages) in length. The Work
In keeping with the focus of The Method Fest, short films and screenplays should highlight the strengths of the actor. We encourage simple character driven stories about life from the point of view of youth. Animation, special effects driven, documentaries, and music videos will not be accepted.
Guidelines for Films and Scripts
- Tell a personal story.
- Keep your locations limited.
- Find resources (people, places, things) available in your daily life.
- Limit the number of actors to only a few, or just one or two.
- Visit our website at www.methodfest.com for more help and to ask questions.
Eligibility
Given the mission of the Method Fest Youth Program, All contestants must be in grades six to twelve (or their respective equivalents) in the year 2006.
THERE IS NO ENTRY FEE
Click to download a printable Short Film Entry Form
Deadline
Entry deadline is March 15.
The Divisions and Awards
- Division I (Grades 6 to 8)
- Division II (Grades 9 to 12)
In each division: Best Short Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Short Film.
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Short Film winners:
SONY will award a DCRHC90 digital camera (list price $1,000) in the middle school competition. High school filmmakers can win a DSRRPD170 camera (list price $4,000). |
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Screen Writing winners:
Final Draft will award a copy of Final Draft screen writing software to the winners. |
The Process for Short Films
- Filmmakers submit a copy of their film on VHS or DVD only.
- A panel of youth and professional filmmakers will narrow down the entries to 5 finalists in each division.
- These movies will be screened at the festival.
- A panel of adults in the filmmaking industry will evaluate those movies and choose winners to be announced at an awards ceremony during the festival.
- Filmmakers will be informed of their entry's status.
The Process for Short Screenplays
- Screenwriters should mail in their entry form, with proper signatures, to The Method Fest, 840 Apollo St., Suite 314, El Segundo, CA 90245. A copy of their script, no more than 12 pages long, in industry standard screenplay format, should be submitted electronically as an attachment to youth@methodfest.com.
- A panel of industry writers will limit the selection to three scripts.
- Each of the three selected scripts will receive mentoring from a professional screenwriter.
- A final panel will select one screenplay in each division to be produced with the assistance and mentorship of a professional crew.
Acting Competition
A panel of industry filmmakers and agents will select the best actor in each division from the pool of submitted short films.
Clinic Schedule
During the festival we will have a variety of clinics for filmmaking, writing and acting. The clinic schedule will be announced shortly.:
Contact
Feel free to contact us with questions or comments via email at youth@methodfest.com.
Educators & Industry
If you wish to involve yourself with the Youth Program or would like an industry professional/educator to visit your classroom, please email our Youth Outreach Coordinator, Geoffrey Pepos at geoff@methodfest.com.
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