The Ocean County Library is has put out a call for submissions for its 13th Annual Student Film Festival! All high-school aged students in New Jersey have until April 5th to submit up to three films for the festival. Chosen films will be notified mid-April.
The Student Film Festival will take place on Saturday, April 27th from 6-9 pm. There is a red carpet before the screenings, where directors will be interviewed about their work. After the screenings, an award ceremony is held with awards in several categories including audience choice.
Emily Mazzoni, Principal Librarian- Teen Services at the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library, is excited to be holding this event again for New Jersey teens. Since it began in 2006, the Festival has showed over 585 films and given out about 150 trophies. “The Ocean County Library is a strong advocate for the cultural arts in our community and we serve as a prominent venue for artistic expression such as art displays, music recitals, and writing groups. Our library not only serves as storage of information, but most importantly, we are home to visions and stories,” says Mazzoni. “Now, more than ever, young adults are exploring their world through the lens of a camera and film has become a popular and valued means of telling a story for today’s youth. We created the Ocean County Library Student Film Festival in 2006 to celebrate, support and inspire our emerging visionaries and their artistic storytelling.”
Submitting films to the festival is free, as is admission to the event on the 27th. For more information, please visit http://theoceancountylibrary.org/Teens/filmfest.