ABOUT THE CONTEST
The Film Excellence is a competition where student films from across the nation compete head-to-head for the opportunity to be awarded an Excellence award in various film categories. Schools may submit unlimited entries in each film category. Winners will be announced at the 2025 STN Convention and presented with awards on stage. Schools are not required to attend the convention to enter this contest. All entries must be produced between August 1, 2024 through February 3, 2025. STN is a program-based organization and contests are designed to evaluate programs based on the work done during a school calendar year. The deadline is February 3, 2025 at 5PM PT.
STN is open to diverse interpretations of the human experience. Sensitive topics should be handled with maturity and avoid using foul language, being gratuitous, explicitly violent, obscene or overtly sexual. Students may depict actions leading up to or following an incident, however, they should not show the explicit act of the incident itself. Submissions should not depict youth involved in risky, questionable, or illegal activities without also examining the outcomes, ramifications, or consequences of those activities.
Entries must not exceed 15 minutes. No entries from a previous STN contest may be submitted. Each entry will be scored and provided a critique by a professional who will offer their expert opinion and feedback, based on years of work experience in the TV/Film industry. Judges will evaluate all entries using a contest rubric. The highest score in each category may be awarded.
All entries submitted into the comedy, drama, and documentary film categories will be considered for the craft awards. Schools will pay one entry fee of $25 per film submission, which includes their film and craft evaluations. After screening all films, judges from each category will determine the films nominated for crafts awards. A panel of judges will then screen those nominated and determine the winner in each craft category.
All questions and concerns about contests can be sent directly to dave@studenttelevision.com.
** Refunds will not be granted after your registration has been submitted. Please plan accordingly. **
FILM CATEGORIES
BEST COMEDY
An original, short-form fictional story created with the intent to amuse the audience and provoke laughter. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Title slate and credit are required and count toward your total run time.
BEST DRAMA
An original, short-form fictional story with a narrative plot structure, focusing on a compelling character or cast of characters portraying real-life situations involving confrontation and conflict. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Title slate and credit are required and count toward your total run time.
BEST DOCUMENTARY
An original, short-form nonfiction story with a clear, compelling story that focuses on a subject and reflects an authentic exploration of a person, topic, place, or theme. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Title slate and credit are required and count toward your total run time.
BEST ANIMATED
An original, short-form fictional story using graphics or images created through hand drawings, stop motion, claymation, and 2D or 3D computer-generated software. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Title slate and credit are required and count toward your total run time.
BEST MIDDLE SCHOOL FILM
A short-form story with a clear, compelling story that can be any genre (drama, comedy, horror, etc.) or form (documentary, live-action, animated) of filmmaking. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Title slate and credit are required and count toward your total run time. This is the only middle school category in the Film Excellence contest.
CRAFT CATEGORIES
BEST ART DIRECTION
Recognizing excellence in the artistic design of a film, such as set, costume and prop design, to create an overall visual aesthetic in a film.
BEST WRITING
Recognizing excellence in the art of writing an original scripted story for a film, including writing the dialogue, developing characters, and outlining the plot cohesively throughout the script.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Recognizing excellence in the technical design of motion picture photography, such as camera composition, angles, and movement, lighting of the set or location, and the integration of any special effects.
BEST DIRECTING
Recognizing excellence in the creative visualization of a film from script to screen while also guiding the cast and crew in order to capture the technical and artistic aspects of the film.
BEST EDITING
Recognizing excellence in the art of assembling footage to communicate the overall story, including constructing the plot, score, sound, and graphics to create a cohesive final project.
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Recognizing excellence in the art and practice of creating, editing and mixing layers of original and/or legally obtained sound, such as foley, ambient sound, music, and effects, to create an overall auditory aesthetic in a film.