Falcon Film Fest

Falcon Film Fest

It’s a new year and it’s time for the 2nd Annual Falcon Film Fest, February 27th at 5:30pm in the Casado Gym.

The time has come again for Falcon Film Fest! Last year, we kicked off our very first Falcon Film Fest and handed out $1000 in prizes to contest contestants. The films were great and the community was even greater as we enjoyed together the fruits of the contestants’ collective labors. Well, it’s that time again and this year we’ve made some changes to simplify the contest and expand the prizes. Last year there were three categories that a student could compete in, but this year there is only one category! But instead of three winners per category, we are instead going up to 10 winners in total! The chances of earning a prize this year are even better! So get out your cameras, pull your friends together, and start that movie making magic!

If you are interested in participating this year for the Falcon Film Fest, it would be incredibly helpful if you would fill out the following survey: INTEREST SURVEY LINK

What kind of films can I create for Falcon Film Fest?

That is the beauty of going from three categories to one category, you can now submit whatever kind of film you like! Examples of the types of films that can be submitted:

  • Documentary or interview
  • A story that you’ve written
  • A comedy stand-up routine
  • Poetry
  • Fictional story
  • Marketing promo
  • A parody of scene or a historical moment
  • Testimony
  • A play
  • And the list could continue on, as there is no end to your creativity.

Falcon Film Fest Guidelines

  1. All current Friends students, undergraduate or graduate, are eligible to submit a film. Faculty, staff, and other community members are eligible to participate in student films as requested, but submissions and prizes are considered to belong to the students. You may also include people you know from off-campus (e.g. friends from home, parent’s, organized sports you participated in, etc.)
  2. All submissions must be shorter than 10 minutes.
  3. All submissions must show a cohesive effort to create a short film, very low effort submissions (e.g. like showing a clip from another movie, submissions from the previous year, unedited footage of the contestant participating in sport, etc.) will not be accepted. If you have any questions whether something is appropriate, just ask! You may also submit a short film that you have already created for another purpose as long as it meets the other guidelines.
  4. Submissions should honor the Friends University Community Life Standards contained in the Student Handbook. Drug use, alcohol use, gambling, excessive violence, overt sexual behavior/innuendo, and vulgar language are prohibited without prior approval. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis when the prohibited activity or behavior uniquely contributes to the narrative or artistic expression. All submissions will be screened for compliance with competition guidelines. Exceptions to this guideline should be requested when submitting the film.
  5. Films should not portray Friends University in such a way that would be considered demeaning or derogatory.
  6. Films should be submitted by 5pm on February 25th. Films can be submitted by sending the film via sharing from a cloud database, upload through Dropbox, or by providing the Office of Inclusion and International Student Services with a thumb drive.
  7. All films will be edited by our office for sound clarity and comfort of the audience.
  8. It is requested, but NOT REQUIRED, that you fill out an interest form on the website for planning purposes. Interest form can be found HERE.

Prizes

  1. All films entered by eligible students are eligible to win prizes. Though staff and faculty that appear in student films are not eligible.
  2. Winners will be determined by a panel of judges.
  3. Films will be judged on five criteria:
    • Quality of script
    • Quality of acting/participation
    • Use of cinematic effects (music, film editing, special effects, etc.)
    • X-factor (things that “wow” the judges but aren’t covered by other criteria)
    • Overall execution – how well it all comes together.
  4. Since there is only one category, prize values will be awarded as follows:
    • 1st place – $200
    • 2nd place – $150
    • 3rd and 4th place – $125
    • 4th place and 5th place – $75
    • 6th through 10th place – $50
  5. Contestants who enter a film as a group will need to elect someone to receive the prize on behalf of the group. Contestants who enter a film as a group will also receive a 50% bonus (e.g. $200 becomes $300, $50 becomes $75, etc.).
  6. Contestants who submit a film on behalf of a student organization will have the option to take their prize as a budget transfer to their student organization’s budget.