The Virginia Film Festival encourages students to take their passion for filmmaking and create an entry for ACTION! The VFF’s High School Director Competition. The 2013 ACTION! Competition is generously supported by the Virginia Film Office.
The competition is open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who are current residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three (3) prizes will be awarded to three best director or directing teams to support the winning student(s)’s continued film and filmmaker education. The ACTION! Grand Prize will be a check for $1,000, and two (2) ACTION! Runner-Up Prizes will be checks of $500 each.
Click below to download our 2013 Rules, Regulations, and Entry Form:
ACTION! Rules, Regulations, and Entry Form 2013 – PDF
Deadline for entry: August 19th, 2013. For more information contact Jane Freeman, the VFF’s Community Outreach and Education Coordinator, at janefreeman@virginia.edu.
CONGRATULATIONS to our 2012 ACTION! winners! These winning films were screened during the 2012 Virginia Film Festival.
2012 ACTION! Grand Prize: Production Values dir. Tim Schauer
Runners Up: A Dream’s End dir. Tilden Lexa; Caffeine dir. Will Jones
Frequently asked questions:
Q. How do I know when my project violates copyright laws?
A. See copyright section below for more details.
Q. What do you mean when you say my film should have a “relevant theme”?
A. Students are encouraged to follow their passions to create the best piece of original work possible. The Virginia Film Festival does not want to limit students with any social, political, or economic themes, and encourages filmmakers to explore their imagination through film. The Virginia Film Festival only limits the use of profanity, graphic violence, or sexual content.
Q. What if I was once a Virginia resident, my work was created in Virginia, and then I moved away?
A. Only films created by current Virginia residents will be considered for entry.
Q. The entry form only provides space for three directors; can we still submit a film with more than three directors?
A. Yes. However, only the three names provided on the Entry form will be recognized as the major contributors to the film. In the event that three directors win, the winning check will be split evenly between them.
Q. How do I register as a vendor for the University of Virginia’s Procurement system?
A. Once the winner and runner-ups are selected, we will contact students about the proper steps to take in order to register as a vendor for the University of Virginia’s procurement system.
Q. What sort of expectations do you have for “prize-worthy” films?
A. First and foremost, films selected as winners and runner-ups adhere to ACTION! Guidelines. Beyond that, the Virginia Film Festival encourages students to pursue their creativity and imagination.
COPYRIGHT LINKS
The links provided are starting points for students to read, explore, and consider in regards to copyright issues.
Article by BBC on Music Rights:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/before-you-start/music-rights
FAQ on amateur film copyright issues, produced by BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/before-you-start/legal-faqs#30seconds
Article from NY Times about legal battle between YouTube and Warner Music Group:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/business/media/23warner.html?pagewanted=all
Blog post that explains music copyright issues within short films:
http://daredreamermag.com/2011/02/23/how-to-legally-use-music-in-your-films-and-videos/
