Filmmaking Opportunities

There are many opportunities for students to produce film projects! Any projects submitted to outside film contests can also be submitted to the Canyons District Film Festival. As long as you are creating a film project, why not submit it multiple times? See below for a listing of filmmaking opportunities students can participate in. Be sure to read the rules for each film contest.

Filmmaking Opportunities

The Courageous Persuaders
Courageous Persuaders is a peer-to-peer national scholarship competition that invites high school students in grades 9-12 to create a 30-second commercial to warn middle school students about the dangers of underage drinking or the dangers of texting while driving. The contest is sponsored by DADA (Detroit Auto Dealers Association).
Kick Ash Short Film Festival
The Salt Lake County Health Department is holding an anti-tobacco short film festival for Salt Lake County youth in grades 7-12. Submit an original 30–60 second short film about the dangers of tobacco. Films should be aimed at decreasing teen tobacco and e-cigarette use.
  • Contest is open January 3 - February 28, 2019.
  • Awards event: March 20, 2019.
  • Visit Kick Ash Film Festival for more information.
Film & Broadcast Coalition's Utah High School Film Festival
The UHSFF is the longest running high school film festival in the nation. Every April, students from around the state submit films in various categories ranging from highlight videos and short comedies to documentaries and short films.
  • Registration deadline: March 29, 2019
  • Entry deadline: April 9, 2019
  • Festival Date: April 23, 2019
Visit http://www.filmandbroadcast.org/uhsff/ for more information.
Cottonwood Height Film Festival
Cottonwood Heights is proud to host our first Film Festival. Two films have been presented and will be shown to viewers Saturday, March 14th at Butler Middle School
*This event was canceled due to COVID-19. Check their Facebook page for information about submitting to next year's festival.
American Graduate
All Canyons District Film Festival entries that explore issues related to reaching educational milestones will also be considered for the Utah American Graduate Theme Prize, sponsored by the Utah Education Network's Utah American Graduate project. The prize will be awarded to one video in each age group that, regardless of genre, that explores issues related to education. Click HERE for more information.
SciTech Now - UEN
SciTech Now captures the latest breakthroughs in science, technology and innovation. UEN is seeking segments for their SciTech Now video series that cover topics in science, technology, and engineering. Take a look at their existing programs online at uen.org/scitechnow to get a feel for what they are looking for. UEN shares their segments with national partners, so this could be a great portfolio piece for students. Contact Canyons School District Ed Tech Specialist Katie Blunt for more information about submitting a project for consideration.
Next Vista For Learning
Next Vista For Learning provides a library of free videos made by and for teachers and students everywhere. Their site not only features videos for consumption by students and teachers, but also has a listing of numerous video competitions students may enter. Learn more at http://www.nextvista.org/​.
Art Connection - UEN
Every week meet fascinating artists and hear their stories about how a hobby became a passion. UEN is seeking segments for their Art Connection video series that cover topics in art, music, performance, etc. Take a look at their existing programs online at uen.org/artconnection to get a feel for what they are looking for. UEN shares their segments with national partners, so this could be a great portfolio piece for students. Contact Canyons School District Ed Tech Specialist Katie Blunt for more information about submitting a project for consideration.
Sundance Film Festival - Students at the Festival
Teachers have the opportunity to register for their classes to participate in special high school screenings of Sundance films. There are also opportunities for students to volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival. Visit http://www.sundance.org/festival/students/ for more information.
Reflections
Each year the PTA sponsors the Reflections contest. There is a new theme associated with the contest each year. Entries are typically due in October. Contact your school's PTA for specific due dates. Visit http://www.utahpta.org/reflections for more information.
Big Screen Science
Teachers -- Join SHIFT in partnership with the Leonardo and the Utah State Office of Education in a seven-month professional development initiative to train STEM educators (grades 6-12)  how to facilitate the production of student-produced instructional and documentary videos. Bonus: Earn credit toward your Ed Tech teaching endorsement!
Visit http://www.shiftworkshops.org/workshops/ for more information.
Spy Hop
Spy Hop provides a variety of paid film classes, workshops, and internships for student filmmakers. 
Visit http://spyhop.org/film/ for more information.
Canyons District Film Festival
Entries due March 19, 2020 to Katie Blunt (kathryn.blunt@canyonsdistrict.org).
Visit http://cnyns.org/csdfilmfest for more information.
Canyons District Film Festival poster contest
Entries due March 19, 2020 to Katie Blunt (kathryn.blunt@canyonsdistrict.org).
Visit http://cnyns.org/csdfilmfest for more information.
UEN television spots
Any film submitted to the Canyons District Film Festival that focuses on resources available through http://uen.org – or just learning in general – may also be considered to air on UEN TV. Contact Katie Blunt for more information (kathryn.blunt@canyonsdistrict.org).