Statewide film contest offering cash prizes opens for high school students
October 17, 2023
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Film Commission and Trident Technical College have opened their annual high school filmmaking competition, the South Carolina Young Filmmakers Project.
New this year, students can start the process with a unique opportunity to pitch their entry ideas to professional filmmakers at a free Pitch Conference on Nov. 4 from 1-3 PM in Salon One at the Charleston Gaillard Center. Led by professional filmmakers and educators, the event will include screenings of past winning films, pointers on filmmaking, and the pitch portion, where participants can pitch their Young Filmmakers entry ideas to a panel of producers, writers, and directors.
“The quality of video content like this boils down to the concept and the story,” said Glenn Seale, Dean of Film, Media and Visual Arts at Trident Tech. “These young filmmakers can share their ideas with experienced filmmakers and get constructive feedback to really help them develop their projects into something special.”
The Pitch Conference is part of the AfroSouth Film Festival. Get more information and register here.
The South Carolina Young Filmmakers Project is an annual filmmaking contest for high school students. Competitors can win cash and prizes, and have their films screened at special events. To enter, teams of students make a short film following a creative challenge.
Entries are due March 18, 2024. The entry form and all other competition information are available at indiegrants.org/young-filmmakers.
“There are so many career opportunities when it comes to video content,” said Matt Storm, Director of the South Carolina Film Commission. “We want to give these high school students an understanding of what those opportunities are, and the skills they can develop to take advantage of them.”
All Young Filmmaker entries are scored by a panel of independent judges based on the criteria found on the contest’s website. The Top Ten scorers will screen at a special event in the spring where winners will be announced. First Prize receives $500, Second Prize $300, and Third Prize $200. Meet the finalists from the 2022-23 contest here.
###