THE STUDENT FILMMAKER COMPETITION RETURNS!
If it’s April, it must be time for ARTBREAK, and FILM PRIZE JR. is back at the student arts festival. If Louisiana Film Prize is an event unlike any other, then Film Prize Jr. is its high-energy little brother. Invented by a driven and brainy Caddo Magnet High School student named Tobias Kallenberg (son of Film Prize creator Gregory), the competition was conceived as a way for students to get the chance to showcase their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit by making films. Now in its fourth year, the contest has almost a hundred Louisiana student scripts and films under its belt, along with cash prizes of $7,000.
This year Film Prize Jr. is offering a new scholarship award opportunity! The Harry V. Booth-Judge Henry A. Politz American Inn of Court Award will be judged by the Film Prize Jury and will be given to the best film that deals with “social media use and responsible student conduct.” The director and writer will both receive $500 scholarships.
Also new this year, the competition will host the “Don’t Litter” Commercial Campaign in partnership with Shreveport Green, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a healthy and sustainable community. Students are invited to create 30- to 90-second public service announcements with an anti-litter message. Every submission will be uploaded to the official Louisiana Film Prize YouTube page, going live on April 12. The public is invited to view the commercials and “like” their favorite. The video with the most likes at the end of the voting period will be named the winner. Students are given the freedom to promote their entries in any way they choose. The winning submission will receive $500 for their school to celebrate the student’s accomplishment.
As the 2018-19 school year began, students ages 14-18 from across Louisiana were invited to find a story, a teacher/sponsor and a team to make a three- to 10-minute film and to submit their completed projects for the competition no later than April 5, to filmprizejr.com. Prior to the initial Jan. 15 deadline, 55 scripts were submitted from 22 Louisiana schools located in Shreveport-Bossier, Natchitoches, New Orleans, Monroe, Lafayette, LaFourche Parish and Baton Rouge. Film Prize Jr. will host the free screenings of all completed student film entries during ARTBREAK 2019 on Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27, on the second floor of the Shreveport Convention Center. The screenings are Friday, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Audience members and professional jurors will vote for the PRIZE film, and the winner of Film Prize Jr. is announced on Sunday, April 28, at 1 p.m., during the ARTBREAK Awards Ceremony!
Cash prizes are awarded for the winning film totaling $7,000. The prizes include a $5,000 media grant to the winning students’ school, $1,000 to the sponsor, and another $1,000 to the school to celebrate their cinematic achievements. Caddo Magnet High School students Maria Vu and Olivia Noonan created the 2018 winning film, “If You Only Knew.”
Four Northwest Louisiana high schools have started film programs as a result of the work of Film Prize Jr.: Bossier Parish School for Technology and Innovative Learning, Green Oaks High Performing Arts Academy, Loyola College Prep and Caddo Magnet High School. Film Prize Jr. liaison Dillon Procell says, “Getting involved with these teachers and students has been one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. Working to bring up the next generation of filmmakers is simply an unbelievable experience.”
Over 850 people attended Film Prize Jr. in 2018 during ARTBREAK 34, exceeding all expectations. The high school filmmakers were treated to packed theaters and their own VIP experience. For these young filmmakers, Film Prize Jr. was a chance to have a public audience and get feedback from someone other than teachers or friends. As a group, they unanimously declare, “Viva La Film Prize Jr.!”
Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC) has hosted the ARTBREAK Festival for 35 years. SRAC Executive Director Pam Atchison says, “It is our mission with the ArtBreak Festival to celebrate and showcase the creative talent of the thousands of students throughout Northwest Louisiana who paint, draw, write, perform and now who also make films. We are so incredibly excited to have Film Prize Jr. as a part of this gigantic celebration of student talent. I, too, say, ‘Viva La Film Prize!’”
Come out Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27, to view the outstanding student film creations of Film Prize Jr. and to cast your vote for a winning film. It’s all a part of the largest student Arts Festival in the South, ArtBreak 35, at The Shreveport Convention Center! For additional information, go to www.artbreaksb.com or www.filmprizejr.com.
FILM SCREENINGS
FRIDAY, APRIL 26 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 27 10:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
FILM PRIZE JR. FINALISTS
A Dog to Die For
Aiden
Bamfuu
Borders
Cut My Lip
DIsCORD
Duct Tape Conformity
Gone Girl
I’m Fine
Just Trust Me
LeTripod
Like a Ship Without a Sail
Louie’s Classic Movies
Next Move
Perfect
Perpendicular in a Turning Lane
Pink Sky
Split
This is My Life
Toxic
Unknown
White Gloves
William
