13th Annual Atlantic Youth Film Competition Deadline May 9th
The ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth 13th annual Youth Film Competition for Atlantic Canadians ages 18 and under deadline for submissions is Monday, May 9th at 5 pm. Click here for details.
Presented by DHX Media and produced by ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth and the Atlantic Film Festival, the Youth Film Competition is a video competition where participants can submit short films, all of which must be under five minutes long.
Top entries are eligible for prizes that will be awarded at a special red carpet screening at Scotiabank Theatre Halifax on Saturday, June 4th. Prizes will be awarded in three categories, including animation, live action and documentary, as well as a grand prize.
“We’ve seen so many young people get a huge boost from participating in this competition and go on to reach great heights in filmmaking and other endeavours,” said Jason Beaudry, the Atlantic Film Festival’s Program Director. “To have a young person show their work for the first time in front of a large audience is a game changer in many cases. It’s a celebration of remarkable talent and builds confidence in young people that bears fruit for years to come.”
ViewFinders has been hosting competitions for young people with a passion for filmmaking for over a decade. During this time, a number of participants have gone on to film schools and careers in the local film industry.
“ViewFinders was the beginning of my filmmaking passion. I attended a weeklong film camp in the summer of 2012, and I have not looked back,” said Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia’s Meagan Brown, a past ViewFinders Youth Film Competition participant. “Seeing a film that I had produced, in a movie theatre, motivated me to continue making my own creations. Every year that I continue to submit to the festival, I become more independent, and the quality of my films improves. To me, the best feeling in the world is to sit in the audience and watch how those around me begin to react to my films.”
Brown, who recently learned that she has been accepted into the York University film program, was a 2015 Film Competition winner for her documentary short, Laura’s Dream. “As soon as I met Laura, I was determined that I was going to put my passion to good use and produce a similar, impactful video on behalf of her. Knowing that Laura’s story has touched so many lives, it reassures me that this is the kind of thing that I wish to do for my life,” added Brown.
About ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth
Named after the optical window of a camera, ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth began as weeklong film festival for young people and their families in 2002. Since then it has grown into an Atlantic Canada wide youth initiative that brings the Atlantic Film Festival experience to school groups and communities across the region.
Each year ViewFinders presents the best in regional, national and international films for youth, tackling issues from multiculturalism and community to sustainability and creativity. The program’s activities introduce the wonderful world of filmmaking through hands-on media workshops, and through film competitions, ViewFinders provides a platform for young filmmakers – a proven launching pad for the next generation of talent.
ViewFinders is the first step in a life full of experiencing and celebrating the art of film and filmmaking.
ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth is a part of the Atlantic Film Festival family of programs. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders, the AFF Outdoor Film Experience and Strategic Partners.
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