Teen Film Fest 2023
Submissions for the 2023 Teen Film Fest have closed. Stay tuned for the announcement of our 2024 Teen Film Fest Submission Deadlines.
Submissions for the 2023 Teen Film Fest have closed. Stay tuned for the announcement of our 2024 Teen Film Fest Submission Deadlines.
Filmmakers must be 12 to 18 years of age and between entering 7th grade through exiting 12th grade. Adults may appear in the film, but should have no other responsibilities in the production of the film.
Films should be no longer than six minutes in length.
*SUBMISSION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED! We will be accepting film submissions through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 30, 2023*
A completed entry form must be submitted for each film. Signed and completed forms must be emailed to teens@ahml.info no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, July 21, 2023.
Filmmakers who are under the age of 18 must have a parent’s signature on each of their entry forms.
Filmmakers must be present at the Film Fest on Friday, August 18th to be eligible for a prize.
A total of $300 in prizes will be awarded across Film Fest winners, in addition to an honorary Golden Clapper award for Funniest Sound Effect.
Only three film submissions per person.
Films submitted to previous AHML Teen Film Fests are not eligible.
In the case of a high number of submissions, we may not be able to show all of the films submitted to the fest. We will notify you if your film will be screened at the film fest.
Email a link to the latest version of your film to teens@ahml.info by July 12 to get feedback and potential suggestions from library staff before the submission deadline of July 30.
Email teens@ahml.info.
And just like that, the 17th Annual Teen Film Fest is a wrap!
On August 18, 2023, we screened 11 teen-created films at our annual celebration of filmmaking. Thank you to all the teen filmmakers, fantastic judges, library staff, volunteers and the wonderful audience for another great year!
See what films took home the prize:
Best Acting: Hint – Sophia Pederson, Julia Pederson, Ani Skiles & Natalie Liigsoo
Best Script/Storyline: Flightless – Xavier Lipani
Best Camerawork/Editing: The Bagman – Matthew Banholzer
Best Special Effects: Desktop Battle #1 – Ruben Fay
Golden Clapper – Funniest Sound Effect: Criminal Person 3: The Discovery – Devin Joseph
Best Overall Film: Flightless – Xavier Lipani
Audience Favorite: Criminal Person 3: The Discovery – Devin Joseph
We know that making a film can be a lot of work! Make sure that you're on track to make the best film you can by checking out some of these resources:
Teen Film Fest Workshop
Monday, July 17 from 7-8:30 pm
Are you interested in getting help with your submission for this year’s teen film fest? Well now is your chance to get help from the experts. Drop in and get help from the experts and have your questions answered. Feel free to bring your project on a flash drive so we can assist you.
Check out books and videos you can access through the library to learn about writing screenplays, filmmaking techniques, and more.
Filming with your Phone's Camera
These videos have great tips for filming on your iPhone or Android device.
Camera Terminology
Below you'll learn about some useful camera terminology paired with useful links that go into greater depths of what they are and how to use them effectively while filming.
ISO (Light Sensitivity): The lower the ISO the finer the grain. The higher the ISO the grainier the picture will appear. Learn more here!
Auto Focus: Will automatically focus on a subject in frame. This is not recommended for interviews or non-moving subjects.
Shutter Speed: If your shooting video you’ll want to aim around 1/48th to 1/60th. A slower shutter speed allows more light into the camera. Shutter Speed vs. FPS
Aperture: Allows you to control how narrow the lens is. This will determine how much light is reaching your pictures. Learn more here!
Video Quality and FPS: You should aim to shoot in 1080p. This is the size of your video file which measures out to 1920X1080 which is the resolution for High Definition video.
FPS or Frames Per Second determines how many frames will appear per second in your video. For shooting video you’ll want to do 29.7 fps which is the standard. Anything higher would start creating a slow motion version of your video you're shooting.
Why would I need to use a Green Screen?
What do I need to film a Green Screen scene/shot?
Video: How to use Green Screen with iMovie
Use the resources below to find video, images, music and sound effects to use in your film, beyond what you film yourself. Using your original footage or copyright-free, public domain or creative commons copyright images will ensure that there will be no copyright infringement by films in the fest. Make sure to properly include what you use in your film's credits.
Use some of these ready-made scores created by AHML teens on the Sound Hounds summer volunteer squad.