Louisville Children's Film Festival to Host a Statewide Short Filmmaking Competition Open to Students in Kentucky Ages 8-14

The Louisville Children's Film Festival is excited to announce the launch of a statewide short film competition open to students throughout Kentucky ages 8-14. Films that are submitted by January 17, 2020 will be eligible for screening during the 3rd Annual Louisville Children's Film Festival, February 21 - February 29, 2020. The focus of this year's short filmmaking competition is Look Within 2020 and the purpose of the competition is to empower, inspire, and entertain.

The Louisville Children's Film Festival is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit that was founded in 2017. Since then, the Louisville Children's Film Festival has striven to support the educational development of children in Louisville, Kentucky and surrounding areas by inspiring openness and curiosity about the world through the showing of high quality, diverse films created by children for children. The mission of the Louisville Children's Film Festival has successfully brought media art programs to local schools by sharing international children's film.

Since its beginning, Louisville Children's Film Festival has held a high standard for the films that are screened each year. The film committee focuses on selecting films that feature content which speaks positively to children, youth, and families of all ages and cultures. The films feature entertaining narratives that are true-to-life and sometimes challenging to young minds. The topics of the films span a wide range of emotions from joy to grief and many in between. The Louisville Children's Film Festival includes documentaries, animated films, experimental films, and even foreign films that are accompanied by subtitles. Since its founding in 2017, the Louisville Children's Film Festival has screened films that are created around the world as well as films created in Louisville itself. Films from students at local schools including Kammerer Middle, Chenoweth, and Hawthorne Elementary Schools have been featured at the festival in years past.

In addition to hosting the Louisville Children's Film Festival, the nonprofit also partners with a variety of local organizations around the Louisville area to expand their reach. For 2020, Louisville Children's Film Festival is partnering with the Fund for the Art's Cultural Pass, various Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), renowned local bookstore Carmichael Kids, and more.

Over the last three years, the Louisville Children's Film Festival has held an annual festival screening over 20 international films, each year, reaching close to 1,000 people throughout Louisville, Kentucky, and Southern Indiana through the festival itself and various educational programs that are available throughout the year. This year, the short filmmaking competition leading up to the 3rd Annual Louisville Children's Film Festival is open to students throughout the state of Kentucky for the first time.

Applications are now being accepted for this year's statewide short film competition. To qualify for the competition, the short film submissions must meet a variety of stipulations. Requirements for the film to be considered for the 2020 Louisville Children's Film Festival screening include:

The film must be a digital video.

The film has to clearly focus on the topic of "Look Within".

The film must start with a 10 second full-screen "title screen" that features the Lead Producer's name, school name, film title, and total running time.

The film cannot be longer than 180 seconds/3 minutes not including the required 10 second title screen.

The entire film must be conceived and created by youths. Some adult supervision is allowed, but adult input must be minimal.

The film cannot contain any copyrighted material (music, imagery, etc.) unless the copyright is owned by the filmmaker.

The content of the film must comply with all laws on local and national levels.

To enter a film into the 2020 short filmmaking competition, entries require a signed and completed 2020 Festival Entry Form. Links to films themselves cannot require passwords or downloads. All films must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. EST on January 17, 2020. Films entered into the competition are reviewed by the Louisville Children's Film Festival board members and a committee of students, educators, and community representatives within the arts. Entrees are judged on how well they address the topic, Look Within, and how engaging, inspiring and informative films are. Creativity is also considered and the committee of judges will also make sure that the films adhere to all the competition's guidelines.

Winning filmmakers are eligible for first place and runner-up prizes across three categories divided by school grades. Six total prizes will be awarded to the winners, who will receive $100 each, and the runners-up, who will receive $50 each. If a submitted film wins the competition, garnering either first or second place, winning entrants will receive notice of their accomplishment via email no later than February 18, 2020. All winning films will also be screened during the third annual Louisville Children's Film Festival that takes place February 21 - February 29, 2020.

Those interested in entering a film into the 2020 Short Film Competition who live in the state of Kentucky and are between the ages of 8-14 (grades 3-9) can do so on the Louisville Children's Film Festival website. For more information on the Louisville Children's Film Festival including ways to donate, support, or volunteer for the non-profit, visit www.louisvillechildrensfilm.org.

About Louisville Children's Film Festival
Louisville Children's Film Festival was founded in 2017 with the intention of opening opportunities for children to express their creative skills and encouraging children to be curious about exploring the world through film. Since then, the Louisville Children's Film Festival has hosted film festivals in 2019 and 2018 that have each screened over 20 international children's films that span a variety of genres touching on a variety of topics. Throughout the festival week, children and parents alike have opportunities to view the films, meet the makers behind them, and learn about other creative resources within the film industry. As a nonprofit, Louisville Children's Film Festival is sustained and supported through the board members, advisory board, donations, sponsorship, and acts of volunteerism. To learn more about Louisville Children's Film Festival, visit their website. To donate, support, or sign up to volunteer at the 3rd Annual Louisville Children's Film Festival, February 21 - February 29, 2020, visit their support page.