Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > AETN calls for 2011 student film showcase entries
Posted 13 Jan 2011
The Arkansas Educational Television Network is now accepting entries for Student Selects: A Young Filmmakers Showcase, which highlights the creativity and talent of the states kindergarten through 12th grade students.
Marking its fifth year, Student Selects is an annual event that grants these future filmmakers the opportunity to submit their film and video handiwork for possible broadcast on AETN, streaming on www.aetn.org and screening at the Little Rock Film Festival.
I am so pleased to be entering our fifth year of Student Selects, AETNs youth-generated film program, Casey Sanders, AETN producer and Little Rock Film Festival youth and education coordinator, said. The world of digital storytelling is increasingly accessible and attractive to young people and I am particularly intent on harnessing this interest in technology to cultivate the next generation of digital filmmakers.
Four $2,500 scholarships, funded by the THEA Foundation, will be awarded to graduating seniors in the following categories: screenwriting, directing, cinematography and editing. Scholarships will be awarded to the students institution of choice, regardless of planned major.
For scholarship consideration, high school seniors must guarantee that they were the sole producer of the selected category, Sanders said. Grade point average and test scores wont limit students in this scholarship competition, nor do students need to be entering a media-related major.
Entry categories include, but are not limited to:
• Documentary
• Narrative (short, full-length, fiction, sitcom, etc.)
• Animation (hand-drawn, claymation, Flash, computer-modeled, etc.)
• Music videos
Anyone interested in submitting films for the showcase should visit www.aetn.org/studentselects for complete rules and downloadable entry forms.
Entries must be postmarked by Friday, April 8, and will be judged in April 2011. Winners will be announced in May 2011. Past entries are also available for viewing at the site. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Casey Sanders at 501-682-4190 or csanders@aetn.org.
Winning entries will be aired on AETN and posted to www.aetn.org/studentselects.
AETN will also host a youth filmmaking workshop and screening of student films at the Little Rock Film Festival in June. The two-day event will include sessions with professional filmmakers in hands-on workshops and be geared toward new filmmakers and those ready to begin distributing their work.
Its been exciting and rewarding to watch Student Selects grow and develop over the last five years, AETN Director of Production Carole Adornetto said. With Casey Sanders exceptional leadership and personal enthusiasm, our student entries have more than tripled since we started five years ago.
In addition, award-winning PBS series POV| American Documentary, recognized internationally for its rigorous editorial selection process of outstanding award-winning non-fiction films, will oversee a national call for student entries as part of Project VoiceScape. The project, a collaboration between Adobe Youth Voices, the Adobe Foundations global signature program, and POV is aimed at encouraging middle and high school students nationwide to use digital media tools in creating compelling stories about issues and important to them. Project Voicescape is open to all Arkansas students and deadline for project submission is Feb. 15, 2011. Young filmmakers whose entries are chosen will receive funding to complete their films, mentoring from award-winning documentary filmmakers and streaming of their films at POVs website. Additional information including submission guidelines can be found at www.pbs.org/pov/filmmakers/voicescape.php
The THEA Foundation is a nonprofit, public foundation founded in 2001 by the parents of Thea Kay Leopoulos, Linda and Paul David Leopoulos. The founders and Board of Directors have adopted the mission of carrying Theas legacy forward through advocating the importance of art in the development of youth through educational and promotional activities and to encourage individual participation in art through scholarship, partnership, and other programs.
The Little Rock Film Festival takes place annually each spring in the historic River Market District. The festival showcases the best in narrative and documentary films from around the world and promotes Arkansas filmmakers through a dedicated program of film screenings, panels, workshops and youth programs.
POV is televisions longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. POV premieres 14-16 of the best, boldest and most innovative programs every year on PBS. Since 1988, POV has presented over 275 films to public television audiences across the country. POV films are known for their intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, putting a human face on contemporary social issues.
The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) is Arkansass statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. For more information, visit www.aetn.org, or follow the AETN blog at www.aetn.org/engage. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), and KETZ (El Dorado).