BY KAREN BOSSICK
The Sun Valley Film Festival and its Future Filmmakers Forum are accepting student submissions for the eighth Annual Sun Valley Film Festival, which will be presented by Zions Bank March 13-17.
This year students can submit their films for free, thanks to a generous sponsorship from Cox Communications, which supports endeavors involving youth, education, diversity and technology.
The forum showcases student-made films from the Wood River Valley and beyond. A screening, reception and award party hosted by a celebrity guest will take place during the festival.
Past celebrity guests have included Bobby Farrelly of “Dumb and Dumber,” Chace Crawford of “Gossip Girl” and Jack Falahee of “How to Get Away with Murder.”
Students in grades 7 through 12 are invited to submit films of 10 minutes or less. The FFF Hot Shot Award presented for the best national film will include a $1,000-dollar cash prize sponsored by the Marshall Frankel Foundation. The second-place award dubbed the Gabriel Spirit Award involves a cash prize of $300.
The best Idaho student-made film will receive a $500 cash prize presented by the Nalen Family Foundation.
The regular submission deadline is Nov. 9; the late deadline is Dec. 14, and the extended late deadline is Jan. 11, 2019. Submissions can be made online at the www.sunvalleyfilmfestival.org.
Student finalists will be eligible for travel and lodging scholarships to attend the festival, thanks to the support of the Nalen Family Foundation.
The Future Filmmakers Forum is designed to allow middle and high school students the opportunity to experience the full process of filmmaking from conception and submission to watching it be shown at a festival. It also gives students the opportunity to network with student and professional filmmakers.
It’s presented and supported by Bex Wilkinson, Peter Burke, the Marshall Frankel Foundation, the Nalen Family Foundation and Cox Communications.