My DD will have a film screened in the upcoming All American High School Film Festival in NYC. Very excited! But I cant help but wonder about how legitimate these competitions are. I am sure some are and some are not. For example, she submitted photos to a contest (for a price) and got a notice one was selected, and that we could buy now the book that had the (many 100s of) winning photos printed like thumbnails.
I think AAHSFF is a good and prestigious organization but would love to hear from anyone who may know from experience?
Just saw this. AAHSFF is completely legit! My DD attended last year and it was amazing to see her screening on the big screen. They have a college fair with representatives from 4 year colleges as well as art schools. There are workshops and panels on Saturday and Sunday. My DD learned a lot and I was very impressed by the entire festival. Students fly in from all over the US and the world to attend. Teen Indie Awards are on Sunday night and is so much fun. We walked away feeling that there is so much more for my DD to learn. It certainly opened up our eyes.
I will be flying in from TX with my DD and making a long weekend out of it. We are really looking forward to it.
I’m a parent with a DS who graduated this summer from a top university film production program. I believe one of the most important things he did for his college applications was screen his films at youth film festivals. Beyond the certification that earning a screening provides, youth filmmakers LOVE attending festivals and meeting like-minded young artists. My favorite festivals are:
National Film Festival for Talented Youth (http://NFFTY.org) - In Seattle in the Fall of 2018 (they just announced the move from Spring to Fall)
many regional film festivals have a youth division and there are regional youth film festivals
Some tips:
Shorter films (e.g. 3 to 5 minutes) have the best chance of getting in
Because of the calendar, you need to do this as a Junior, or even better before (even middle school is good). Creating one or two festival-quality films for two, three, or four years is great.
It’s a game of percentages – A strong film will get in, say, 60% of festivals to which it is submitted. A weak film maybe 10%.
You don’t have to go the festival, but if you can attend NFFTY, AAHSFF or Young Arts you’ll be inspired and learn much from seeing your peer’s work and talking with them.