2016 Student Showcase of Films Now Open for Submissions
Largest Student Film Competition and Award Show in Florida
Palm Beach County, FL (September 22, 2015) – The time has come once again to celebrate student filmmaking in Florida with the Palm Beach International Film Festival’s Student Showcase of Films. The competition is now open for submissions and the deadline is set for January 12, 2016.
The Annual Student Showcase of Films is open to students enrolled in Florida high schools and colleges. The juried competition recognizes outstanding film students by presenting more than $11,500 in scholarships and awards in the following categories: Feature/Shorts, Documentary, Animation, Commercial/PSA, Environmental PSA, Music Video, Screenwriting, Poster Design, Mental Health Awareness (NEW), and an Audience Award. Honoring the legacy of Burt Reynolds, the festival also awards a scholarship bearing his name and a Sara Fuller Scholarship through Film Florida. Winning student films will also be screened in their entirety on the “big screen” at the students’ own premiere during PBIFF.
“Each year is more exciting than the next. The level of entries by these students is simply incredible and they never cease to amaze. There is so much talent in the state of Florida and these scholarships and award show are looked forward to by all each year,” stated Michelle Hillery, Deputy Film Commissioner & Film Florida President.
Competition finalists are honored and presented with cash awards and prizes at a high profile, one-of-a-kind red carpet award show that will take place at the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL on Friday, March 11, 2016 at 10 a.m.
As a special addition to the award show this year, we will celebrate the winner of the first ever G-Star Studios Cell Phone Film Festival, opening in October for all 6th, 7th and 8th grade students with a desire for making a horror movie on a studio set!
The Student Showcase of Films has an innovative submission process with FilmFreeway.com that is more convenient than ever. To enter through the online application program, view the awards breakdown and official rules and regulations, visit pbfilm.com or Facebook.com/StudentShowcaseOfFilms.
This program is funded by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, the Palm Beach County’s Office of Economic Sustainability, the PBIFF and the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission. Our generous sponsors include: Lynn University, Film Florida, Michael Chasin, Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, Inc. and the Information Television Network.
About the Palm Beach International Film Festival (April 6 – April 14, 2016)
The Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) has secured its place as one of America’s top film festivals including a long history of representing the best in American independent and foreign films from around the globe. The festival thrives in the true spirit of independent cinema. In 2015, the 20th PBIFF hosted 121 films from 24 countries. 78 features were presented, including 30 World, International, North American, and US Premieres. Nearly half were directed by women. Over 60 filmmakers, cast, and crew attended the festival from countries such as Australia, Canada, Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela, to name just a few. In its second year, the festival’s popular sidebar “The Jewish Experience” featured 32 Jewish and Israeli-centric films, including 10 from Israel.
Visiting filmmakers enjoy the hospitality of a film-friendly community, welcoming audiences, and making new industry contacts from around the world. Dedicated to making a difference in the lives of future filmmakers, the festival hosts insightful industry panels, student filmmaking programs, and unique networking opportunities all set against the background of Palm Beach County’s tropical beaches, waterways, and elite venues.
The PBIFF has hosted a bevy of top celebrities and filmmakers including Academy Award® Winners Adrien Brody, Anthony Hopkins, Tommy Lee Jones, Faye Dunaway, Dennis Hopper, Louise Fletcher, and Michael Caine; and Academy Award® Nominees Salma Hayek, Edward Norton, Robert Evans, Sylvester Stallone, Woody Harrelson, Richard Jenkins, and Burt Reynolds; along with countless other legends, stars, and filmmakers that have created movie magic for the past 80 years including Roger Moore, Faye Wray, Esther Williams, Anouk Aimee, Samuel L. Jackson, Cyd Charisse, Richard Zanuck, William Friedkin, Brett Ratner, Jacqueline Bisset, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Rod Steiger.
For more information about the 21st PBIFF go to pbifilmfest.org.
###
