The Rome International Film Festival to host RIFF Student Film Contest

Students throughout Northwest Georgia will have the chance to tell visual stories before an international audience in a competitive atmosphere as well as learn about the film industry during this year’s Rome International Film Festival.

RIFF will host a Student Film Contest as part of the RIFF Academy in its ongoing efforts to engage with young filmmakers in the Northwest Georgia region and beyond. The film contest is currently accepting submissions online until midnight on Friday, Oct. 4.

“It’s part of RIFF’s mission to help foster artistic growth for students, starting at the elementary school level all the way up through college,” says RIFF Executive Director Seth Ingram.

The RIFF Student Film Contest is divided into four categories – 3rd-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, high school and college. Categories may be subject to change depending on the amount of entries received in each category.

The top three films for each category will be selected for the gold, silver and bronze awards.

To be eligible, films must be no longer than ten minutes; include credits at the end and opening titles near the beginning; submitted online via an unlisted or private YouTube or Vimeo link, with a password provided if it is private, and not posted for the general public to view until after the contest is over; include all contact information on the entry form; and suitable for all ages.

All genres are accepted as long as the submission is rated PG. No copyrighted images, sounds or music is allowed, and all elements of the film must be created by the students.

To submit a film in the contest, visit riffga.com and click on the “Education” menu option.

Notifications will be sent on Friday, Oct. 18. The winning films will be shown on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m., location TBA. Tickets for the screenings of the winning films are $7 and students with a pass from the RIFF Academy will be admitted free of charge.

RIFF Academy for Student Scholars

Through a grant gifted by the Rome Area Council for the Arts, students of all ages can apply to be RIFF Student Scholars and attend the RIFF Academy which includes a series of workshops and hands-on-learning activities led by experts in the film industry. The Academy will run Wednesday, Nov. 6 to Friday, Nov. 8 in the Rome Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. 

Additionally, RIFF Student Scholars have the option of attending Friday and Saturday RIFF workshops geared toward industry professionals and film lovers. These workshops will contain more advanced education information that will interest students of the high school and college level. 

“We are very excited about our upcoming Film Contest and RIFF Academy. With advancements in technology, students are becoming filmmakers at a much younger age,” said Katherine Dudley, chair of the RIFF Educational Committee. “We’ve had an overwhelming interest in the Scholars program from the public, so we’re happy to offer this opportunity to students of all ages. Also, screening the winning entries for the Student Film Contest during the festival is an excellent way to showcase the work of these students.”

It costs $20 for students to become RIFF Student Scholars and attend the Academy, and the festival pass includes access to all workshops and screenings.

For more information about the RIFF Academy or Student Film Contest,  contact Katherine Dudley via email at katherine@riffga.com or Leah Lynn via email at leah@riffga.com.