Students in grade 1 through 12 during the 2020 to 2021 school year.

Deadline for all entries is October 16, 2020.

Your film will be judged by the topic of your grade level. See the JUDGING RUBRIC for more details on how the entries will be judged

A - High School: Grades 9-12 (2020-2021 school year) 1st Place: $3,000 2nd Place: $1,500 3rd Place: $1,000 7 Honorable Mentions: $100 B - Middle School: Grades 6-8 (2020-2021 school year) 1st Place: $2,000 2nd Place: $1,000 3rd Place: $700 7 Honorable Mentions: $75 C - Elementary School: Grades 1-5 (2020-2021 school year) 1st Place: $1,000 2nd Place: $500 3rd Place: $350 7 Honorable Mentions: $50

Only films accepted for the CYFI Fest will receive feedback from the judges.

CYFI Fest will let you know if your film has been selected on October 16, 2020 by email, so please keep your contact information updated. Winners in each of the categories will be announced at the online festival on December 5, 2020. Being chosen as a finalist means that your film will go on to the final round of judging.

Winners will be announced at the online festival on December 5, 2020.

There is no limit to the number of students who can work on a video, it could be an individual or a group effort within your grade level only. Recognition and prizes will be awarded to the entrant(s) listed on the film title screen.

All entries are submitted and processed through FilmFreeway, where you will be asked for all necessary information along with the link or file for your film.

You can submit one entry as an individual or with a group, but not both.

All films must be submitted online through FilmFreeway, where can submit a link for your film from YouTube or Vimeo. If your film is selected for the CYFI Fest, you will need to provide a full HD quality file as an exhibition copy. More details will be provided in the notification of acceptance.

All film submissions are made through FilmFreeway, where you can submit a link a YouTube or Vimio link to your work. To watch a guide on submitting your work through FilmFreeway, click here.

You are free to use any equipment available to you to make your film: still images for a montage, stop-motion, digital animation, smartphones, digital cameras, film cameras, anything! For editing you'll most likely need a computer with editing software. Student discounts for Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, and others may be available to you, as well as free options, such as DaVinci Resolve. Such equipment and resources may be availabe through your school.

Yes! All information presented in your film must be properly cited and credited to the original sources. Document such sources in your end credits, which is a required for all submissions.

Only if you've obtained the proper license to use the copyrighted materials. For original materials, simply provide a release statement from the original artist allowing use.

Yes. Your film will be disqualified if any of the following occurs: there is inappropriate content and language, in any language other than English, use of unauthorized copyrighted materials, problems with length, lack of the appropriate forms, or lack of required title screen or end credits. If you are unsure whether an item is copyrighted or inappropriate, then please run the material by your parents or teachers. If there are still questions, simply do not use it. You do not want to take such risks!

Your parents or guardians may offer advice and guidance, and may participate as actors in your film, but it should be your film. It's your chance to share your story, your screenplay, your idea. The creative aspects of directing, filming, and editing should be up to you and/or your production crew.

Please feel free contact the committee cyfifest@cyfifest.com if you have any further questions. You can also ask your teachers and mentors for help with other resources.