the 44TH

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The 44th MSFVF will take place Saturday, July 15 at 12pm during the Maine International Film Festival, at the Paul J. Schupf Art Center in Waterville, ME.

SUBMISSIONS NOW CLOSED

All Maine students grades K-12 are eligible to enter.

Deadline to submit: June 15

$500 cash prize is awarded to the best film of the festival!

SELECTION CRITERIA AND PRIZES

  • Films will be judged by category: Narrative, Documentary, and Creative (animated, experimental, etc.)

  • Works are selected on the basis of Originality, Content, Style, and Technique

  • Submitted films are reviewed by a committee consisting of educators, media arts professionals, and MSFVF alumni.

  • In addition to scholarship prizes for winners, finalists and honorable mentions receive a certificate of merit. Prizes vary annually, but have included scholarships for summer filmmaking workshops, cash prizes, subscriptions to Adobe Creative Cloud, and more!


ENTRY FEE

There is no entry fee to submit your film!


OFFICIAL RULES

  1. Anyone 19 years of age or younger who is a resident of Maine and in grades K-12 is eligible.

  2. Maximum length for entries is 10 minutes.

  3. Submissions are considered and judged by three age groups: Grades K-6; Grades 7-8; Grades 9-12.

  4. The entire production must be the work of the person or persons entering the competition. For group productions, choose the age of the oldest authoring member of the group. There is no age limit for actors, documentary subjects, or musicians who may appear in the production.

  5. Whenever possible, we urge students to use original music, copyright-free music, or music they have obtained permission to use. See the Creative Commons website for more information about types of permissions and resources for royalty-free music.

  6. The Maine Student Film & Video Festival (MSFVF) is an educational event, and we encourage teachers, artists, and advisers to work with their students; however, the actual video production and editorial decisions must be made by students.

  7. Judges award winners and recognize finalists in each category. Judges may expand or reduce the number of awards in any given year, and all decisions are final.

  8. Maine Film Center shall have the right to download and share and digital copies of submitted works for publicity and promotion in all formats and distribution outlets including broadcast, cable, internet, and future distribution and exhibition formats.

  9. Maine Public may air selected student works on Maine Public Television. In order for your film to be considered for public broadcast, all rights to music, archival footage, or any copyrighted content must be cleared.

 
 

2021 Winners

Maine Public Grand Prize

Days Before Summer, 10:40
Will Marshall, Grade 12, Fryeburg Academy

The experience of being a student during the pandemic is perfectly encapsulated in this dream-like cinematic journey.


Narrative Category

PRIZE WINNER

Listen, 7:32
Olivia Smith, Grade 10, Central Maine Institute

A deaf teenager flips the script with a snapshot of life in this silent film.

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Honorable Mention

The Music Box, 5:52
Emma Jordan, Grade 12

At the Hope General Store, a creepy music box has unintended consequences.


Documentary Category

Prize Winner

Successful Students, 7:02
Quinn Denis & DJ McKenzie, Grade 11, Mid-Maine Technical Center

Students from the Mid-Maine Technical Center share their school experience during the pandemic.

HONORABLE MENTION

CTE PSA, 3:10
Quinn Denis, DJ McKenzie, & Daniel Whitman, Grade 11, Mid-Maine Technical Center

The trades get the red-carpet treatment in this PSA for Mid-Maine Technical Center.


Experimental Category

Prize Winner

Liminal Space, 3:43
Della Huntley, Grade 12, Baxter Academy

A shadow reads a newspaper in an in-between place.

Honorable Mention

Dreams, 4:39
Graydon Burr, Grade 12
Distorted lights and color introduce a sense of dread to this unique experimental film.

 

HONORABLE MENTION

End of the World, 7:04
Caitlyn Gallagher, Grade 12
In a dystopian world inspired by current events, two sisters fight for their freedom.


Middle School Category

Prize Winner

Dental Floss, 8:21
Nicholas Rogers & Cameron Pinchbeck, Grade 8, Sweetland School
A group of students build a traditional umiak boat named Dental Floss.


Elementary School Category

Prize Winner

Trenton Treasure Hunters, 4:00
Nayeli Monahan, Grade 3, Trenton Elementary School
A young narrator teaches us how to hunt for treasure.