MCPSS Film Festival

The purpose of the MCPSS Film Festival is to encourage student creativity, communication, and collaboration by providing an engaging platform and community recognition. It is a project of the MCPSS Department of Instructional Technology. 

How To Submit

Teachers will screen and make all submissions for students. Teachers should act as initial screeners for the films being submitted. Films that do not meet the General Requirements are subject to disqualification. 

Films will be submitted via an online form on this website. When the submission period has begun, a link to a submission form will be available in the Enter the Festival section of this site in which the teacher will complete the submission information and upload the film.

Films are due by February 9, 2024. The submission form will no longer accept responses after 11:59pm on February 9, 2024.

Divisions

The 2024 MCPSS Film Festival will contain the following grade level divisions:

-Kindergarten through Second Grade (Teacher assistance allowed*)
-Third Grade through Fifth Grade
-Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
-Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
-Teacher

*For the K-2 division, students are still responsible for brainstorming the idea for the video, determining its structure, filming each shot, and editing the final product. Teachers may offer direct guidance with these tasks; however, ultimately, the students are responsible for completing them.

Categories

The 2023 MCPSS Film Festival will offer the following categories:

-Animation: an original video composed of motion graphics, stop-motion animation, or illustrations
-Commercial: a short video that promotes an existing or fictional product, organization, concept, cause, or perspective
-Documentary: an original program that provides the audience with insight into non-fictional events and/or people
-Music/Performing Arts: a video that tells an original story through an original dance, vocal, or instrumental performance
-Newscast: an original, non-fiction school news broadcast featuring multiple segments (anchors, weather, sports, etc.)
-Short Film (Grades 3-12 Only): an original, fictional video that tells an engaging story. 
-How to... (Grades K-2 Only): video intended to help the audience learn a new skill, complete a project, or perform a specific task

If there is confusion on which category a particular film should be submitted, please reach out to Matt Spivey (mspivey@mcpss.com)

Judging

Each entry will be evaluated based on criteria found in its respective category's rubric. Each rubric contains broad sections of Content and Impact and Cinematography and Technical Quality with specific criteria within each that differs based on the category of submission. For example, the criteria in the Content and Impact section will differ between the Short Film and Documentary rubrics since the goal of the content in each of those types of films will vary greatly.

Submissions in each division and category will be narrowed down to 3 finalists who will be notified in advance of the awards ceremony.

More information regarding the criteria found in each section of the rubric can be found on the Judging page.

Format: Finalists in each division and category will all be recognized with the 1st place winner of each division and category being invited on stage to accept a trophy and present a brief acceptance speech. The winners of each category will then be in the running for their division's Best in Show award. Best in Show winners will have their films shown in full, receive a Best in Show trophy, and earn a technology prize for their schools.

For more information, visit filmfestival.mcpss.com