Our First Film Fest was met with huge success. The films showcased were the very best that were submitted to the Teens Dream Film Competition. This is a competition in which students submit 2 minute films of their dreams of the future centered around the 17 UN Sustainability Goals. We’ve been participating in the film competition for many years, but this is the first film fest we’ve had to showcase student entries. (see blog on the competition here).

We had our Film Fest during school on an assembly schedule and students earned plaques, certificates, T-shirts and notoriety. Student volunteers created the program, wrote the script for the film fest, and hosted the festival too. We also had artists create the backdrop so when students walked the red carpet (yes an actual red carpet), they could get photographs. We also had one of the winner’s of last year’s Teens Dream Competition, (and one of my prior students) to come and introduce a few of the films as well. Parents and District professionals came to the festival as well as a full audience of students who came with their class.

Of course, the most impressive part of the festival were the films. The films speak for themselves. They vary in topics from LGBTQ rights, mental health, racism, Autism, and many more. Some are highly personal, like students discussing Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome or their life with autism. Much creativity and many edits went into each one to create just the right mix of both visuals and audio. Links to a few of the films are below:

1. Jay’s Film on LGBT rights
2. Chris Film on Global Warming
3. Vivian’s on Beauty Standards
4. Alexis’ on Autism
5. Pun’s on Healthy Eating Choices
6. Lili’s on Gender Equality
7. Ian’s on Hunger

Categories: Film, Pedagogy