THE AAHSFF SPRING FILM INVITATIONAL IS BACK!!! 

Registration Deadline: Monday, April 15th, 2024

Competition Begins: Thursday, April 18th, 2024 (8am EST) 

Final Submission Deadline: Monday, April 22nd, 2024 (8pm EST)

Winners & Finalists Announcement: Wednesday, May 1st, 2024 (8pm EST) on Instagram Live (Follow @hsfilmfest)

Looking for an opportunity to build a film crew, spark your creativity, and test your skills against other student filmmakers from around the world… all from the comfort of your hometown? We’ve got you covered, with our 4th annual Spring Film Invitational Competition!

What Is It?

The AAHSFF Spring Film Invitational is a fast and furious creative filmmaking competition designed to provide a creative boost and competitive warm-up for our on-site FI Competitions in New York City this October.

The Spring FI is a production experience for student filmmakers and video production programs - your chance to “crew up” and produce a short film in just 5 days. We believe that the best classroom is a film set, and our Film Invitational Competitions provide participants with an unparalleled chance to productively collaborate, improve their craft, and test their skills while competing against student teams from around the world. Competing in the Film Invitational is a team-building, tech-fueled, creative experience like no other!

Production Specifics:

We’re not going to share all of the details, but we can tell you…

- Teams will be tasked with creating a short narrative film 2-6 minutes in length.

- Participating teams will be provided with a specific prompt that will form the foundation of the story concept and/or theme (Ex- “View from the top…”, “Beginnings…”, “Mind on Fire…”).

- Teams will also be tasked with incorporating a few REQUIRED elements in their production (like a specific line of dialogue, foley sound fx, prop, etc.).

- Teams will be required to provide location and talent release forms (forms provided by AAHSFF).

- All music and imagery must be royalty free (AAHSFF will provide a library of royalty free music).

COST: $150 per team (Max 10 team members)*

Schools/programs are welcome to register as many teams as they wish.*

Who Is Eligible?

Any student filmmaker who is currently in high school is eligible to participate in our competitions. Schools, clubs, and community organizations are welcome to form teams. There is no limit to how many teams a school/organization can register, AND schools/organizations are welcome to compete in any/all of the competitions. ALL TEAMS MUST HAVE AN ADULT TEAM LEADER/MENTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH AAHSFF AND CHAPERONING THE TEAM WHILE IN PRODUCTION.

- Schools - Form a team (or teams) representing your high school’s film program.

- Clubs - Form a team (or teams) representing your high school’s film club.

- Community Organizations - Form a team (or teams) representing your workshop, camp, after school, or other community film organization.

Submission Critique:

We are excited to offer all of our Spring FI Teams personalized submission critiques to further enrich your Film Invitational experience. Each critique is prepared by AAHSFF Co-Founder and Executive Director, Tom Oliva, and offers in-depth analysis of the elements utilized in your production and how well they helped communicate your story concept to ultimately deliver an emotional impact. All critiques will be delivered within a few weeks of the conclusion of the competition. The cost for each official critique is $100.

Each critique will focus on five aspects of your film production:

Initial Response:

  • Emotional connection and impact

  • Genre and title

  • Overall viewer engagement

Character and Conflict:

  • Character development (goals, values, motivations, consequences, etc.)

  • Conflict origin, development, and relationship to characters

Story Structure and Development:

  • Exposition (imagery, setting, mood and atmosphere)

  • Inciting incident and turning points

  • Climax, falling action and resolution

  • Linear vs. non-linear structure and overall balance of the five acts

  • Ability to enhance the development of character and conflict

The Elements of Film:

  • Viewer reaction (re: sound, editing, characterization, camera movement, etc.)

  • Lighting and color

  • Camera placement and movement

  • Camera angles, shot distance and viewer perspective

  • Cuts, transitions, rhythm and purpose

  • Imagery and symbolism

  • Music and sound effects

Larger Implications, Commentary and Meaning:

  • Theme development and emphasis

  • Cultural, societal and institutional implications

  • Finally, we will identify specific strengths and areas for improvement in an effort to help you continue to pursue your passion for visual storytelling at the highest level.

How It Works:

Registration is now open and will continue until Monday, April 15th, 2024. The competition starts Thursday, April 18th, 2024, at 8 am EST when your team receives the official F.I. Welcome Packet. In this packet, you will find all of the details, rules, and prompts. Teams then have five days to write their script, plan their shoot, secure locations and actors, film, and edit before the final submission deadline on Monday, April 22nd, 2024, at 8 pm EST.

All films will be reviewed and judged by the AAHSFF Team and Industry Professionals. The nominees and winners will be announced live on Instagram on Thursday, May 2nd, 2024, at 8 pm EST. All nominated and winning films will be featured on the AAHSFF website and social channels, and the winning team will receive a commemorative Tindie trophy and special AAHSFF swag bag of merchandise! All participating teams will receive an official certificate of participation.

**Only submissions that meet all of the rules and guidelines and are submitted before the deadline will be judged and considered for nomination and awards.**