INFORMATION, RULES & REGULATIONS
GENERAL INFORMATION
The primary objective of the 2023 Halloween Student Silent Film Festival is to offer students the opportunity to create contemporary silent films and enhance their storytelling abilities without relying on dialogue. This demanding exercise will significantly improve students' capacity to produce engaging films.
In order to participate in the festival, every school must pay an entry fee, which will not only help fund the event but also encourage students to participate with seriousness and dedication. Please note that only one film submission is allowed per school. If a school has multiple films to choose from, they must select the best one for submission.
To help schools choose the best film, we recommend that they organize their own mini-festival or pre-judging event to evaluate the entries and select the best silent film to enter into the Student Silent Film Festival.
Every participating group is required to have two adult chaperones, including at least one teacher, to ensure proper supervision and guidance.
IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES
EVENT DATE: Wednesday, October 18, 2023
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR MMEA MEMBERS: Monday May 1, 2023
GENERAL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Friday, September 22, 2023
PAYMENT DEADLINE: Friday, September 29, 2023
FILM SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, September 29, 2023
THEME
This year's event has a deliberately broad theme that revolves around Halloween. We're aiming for a truly unsettling atmosphere, with plenty of room for elements of horror, suspense, and outright creepiness. But don't let that limit your creativity - you could even take a completely different approach and try creating something that's a Halloween-inspired comedy. Whatever you choose, we strongly encourage you to unleash your imagination and create something that's truly spine-chilling.
VENUE
The Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove
PARTICIPATION FEES
Participation Fee: The participation fee is $200.00 per school. This fee will provide 10 Artist/Faculty Passes and 2 Additional Passes for chaperones. Each group is required to have 2 adult chaperones including a teacher
GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET COSTS
General Admission Tickets: General admission tickets for the big night is $25 per person ($18 in Advance Online).
EVENT SCHEDULE
5:30 - 6:30 pm: Artist Check-in, Spooky Red Carpet Social Hour,
and screening of some classic Halloween-themed silent films
6:45 pm: Showtime!
FESTIVAL COORDINATORS
Bill Allan - Communications Teacher at Lyons Township High School
Derek Berg - Founder and CEO of the Clarendon Hills Music Academy
Ed Newmann - former president and CEO of Calabash Animation Studios, Chicago, IL
STUDENT SILENT MOVIE FESTIVAL GUIDELINES
ELIGIBILITY
All eligibility to participate in the silent film festival is by invitation only.
EARLY BIRD MMEA REGISTRATION PERIOD
MMEA EARLY BIRD OPENS: Thursday, April 13, 2023
MMEA EARLY BIRD CLOSES: Monday, May 1, 2023
Click to Register Here
GENERAL REGISTRATION FOR ALL INVITED SCHOOLS (INCLUDING MMEA SCHOOLS)
OPENS: MONDAY, MAY 1, 2023
CLOSES: Friday, September 8, 2023
Click to Register Here
PARTICIPATION PAYMENT DEADLINE
DEADLINE: Friday, September 15, 2023 (Payment is required for participation)
Click to Pay Participation Fees Here
FILM SUBMISSION DEADLINE
FILM SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, September 22, 2023, at 11:59 pm
Click to Submit Your Film, Trailer & Audience Choice Promo/Hype Video
FILM LENGTH
Each school can submit one film with a minimum running time of 5 minutes and a maximum running time of 7 minutes.
FILM TITLE
Please make sure to establish a formal title for your film. Please do not use "untitled" as your title.
FILM TRAILER (Required)
Each school is required to submit a 30-60 second trailer for their films. Trailers can have their own soundtrack and/or voice-over, dialogue, etc. Film Trailer Must be received by Friday, September 22, 2023, at 11:59 pm
Click to Submit Your Film, Trailer & Audience Choice Promo/Hype Video
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD PROMO/HYPE VIDEO (Required)
Each school is required to submit a 30-second promo/hype video for THEIR film to be voted for the “People Choice” award. The purpose of the promo/hype video is to inspire students to come to the live event to support their school and vote for their school's film for the People's Choice Award. The People's Choice Award Promo/Hype Video Must be received by Friday, September 22, 2023, at 11:59pm
Click to Submit Your Film, Trailer & Audience Choice Promo/Hype Video
HOW THE WINNERS SELECTED
Traditional Judging: A panel of judges will screen all films and select the top 3 respectively in no particular ranking. The consensus of those results will determine the finalists based on cinema excellence.
Audience Choice: In addition to the traditional judging, we shall be presenting an Audience Choice Award. This round of voting will happen exclusively at the event by the members of the audience.
FORMAT
All submissions should conform to the following specifications:
• H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec
• mov or mp4 wrapper
PLEASE NOTE: if you shoot in 24 or 23fps make sure your sequence is set accordingly.
CONTENT: PG 13 RATING
PG-13 (Parental Guidance-13) is a film rating category assigned by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) of America. The PG-13 rating indicates that some material may not be suitable for children under the age of 13, and parental guidance is suggested.
The guidelines for the PG-13 rating include:
- Violence: Violence is allowed in PG-13 films, but it should not be excessively graphic or disturbing. The violence should not be glorified or gratuitous, and it should not be directed at innocent victims.
- Language: Mild to moderate profanity is permitted in PG-13 films, but the use of strong language should be infrequent and used only in a non-sexual context.
- Sexual Content: Sexual content is allowed in PG-13 films, but it should not be explicit or overly graphic. Nudity is allowed but should be brief and non-sexual. Sexual references and innuendos are also allowed but should not be too explicit or offensive.
- Drugs: Drug use and references to drugs are allowed in PG-13 films, but it should not be excessive or glorified.
Overall, the PG-13 rating is intended to provide guidance to parents about the suitability of a film for their children. Parents should use their judgment when deciding whether a particular film is appropriate for their child based on their child's age, maturity, and sensitivity to the material presented in the film.