Boynton Beach Short Film Festival

Florida is one of the most diverse states in the nation, populated by immigrants from around the world who came here to seek refuge and a new way of life. They now live alongside the indigenous peoples who cared for this land for centuries. The Third Annual Boynton Beach Short Film Festival celebrates this rich diversity of our population and their contributions to the region’s culture. Founded in 2016, the Boynton Beach Short Film Festival (BBSFF) was the brainchild of Jon Palardis, DIGIFILM Instructor at SouthTech Schools in Boynton Beach, Florida. Open to professionals and students of any diversification, he felt a film festival would offer an exciting cultural venue for the community, be a tremendous educational experience for students interested in film and television, and provide an excellent opportunity to introduce the work of Florida’s filmmakers to the surrounding area. The Boynton Beach Short Film Festival celebrates both the history and the future of the film industry with six days of films from around the globe, including post-screening discussions with filmmakers and cast, special events, parties, networking opportunities, and industry panels. Under the auspices of SouthTech Academy, a Conversion Charter High School in the Palm Beach County School District, BBSFF is the only film festival in the United States organized by high school students who learn how to put on a film festival as part of their curriculum, including students from filmmaking, marketing, and graphics academies. Students are responsible for social media marketing to increase festival awareness; creating marketing campaigns for both film submissions and ticket sales; understanding and contributing to the submission and judging process; designing and creating logos, posters, flyers, and tickets; and supervising the film screenings at the theater. Student filmmakers from middle school, high school, community college, and university levels, along with local professional filmmakers, enter their work in competition for prize money and awards with the chance to have their films shown on the "big screen" during the festival. The festival includes films both “In Competition” and “Out of Competition.” Short films "In Competition" are submissions from Florida filmmakers who have the opportunity to receive acknowledgment for their artistic work in juried awards for Best Film, including cash prizes in the Middle School, High School, College, and Professional categories, along with trophies for Best Cinematographer, Best Editor, and Best Acting. "Out of Competition" films are solicited by us from various film festival directors, filmmakers, sales agencies, and distributors from around the world. Activities also include seminars, workshops, and "hands-on" experience with filmmakers and professionals from all areas of the industry. BBSFF is unwavering in its commitment to supporting emerging filmmakers of today and tomorrow. We strive to recognize new and original voices in Florida and channel the excitement of cinema into our local schools. As we enter our third year, BBSFF has dedicated itself to making a difference in the lives of young people by helping to fulfill their dreams in the world of film. PLEASE READ ALL SUBMISSION RULES CAREFULLY: ATTENTION- If selected, filmmakers will need to grant access to a DCP or MP4 file of their film. ATTENTION- Please use a single email address for your contact. The festival is not responsible to get information to multiple email addresses. The festival is open to all Florida professional filmmakers and college, high school, and middle school student filmmakers. No other submissions will be accepted and fees will not be refunded due to applicant error. All filmmakers are encouraged to submit films created within the last 12 months and of any genre. Films will only be accepted with a total run time (TRT) of 40 minutes and under. We strongly urge you to submit films of much shorter lengths for potential screening; however, don't be discouraged from submitting films up to 40 minutes in length. All students' films must be accompanied by a photocopied current student ID or other legal documentation of current student status. Launching careers in the film industry can be a tedious task, but recognition from the Boynton Beach Short Film Festival and the accredited, educational facility of SouthTech Schools may assist you in achieving that goal.