Filmstrip of images

Now in its 4th year, it’s time for the 2025 BCSD Student Film Festival!

Lights, Camera, Action!

It’s time to get those amazing filmmaking ideas for this year’s film festival onto paper and then, turn them into reality. The submission deadline for film projects to be included in this year’s student film festival is April 13, 2025.

Have you already put the finishing touches on your film? Awesome! Please be sure to review the updated FAQ and Content Guidelines section below. If your film is ready, submit your project using the button below.

Film Festival Screening Dates and Locations for 2025

We’re excited to offer THREE screenings this year. Save the dates and locations in your calendar and we’ll see you on the red carpet in May!

  • Elementary School Films Screening: Friday, May 16th at Seeger Theater, BHS

  • Middle School Films Screening Saturday, May 17th at Seeger Theater, BHS

  • High School Films Screening Monday, May 19th at the Beacon Movie Theater

Tickets for the screenings will be available starting mid-April. Any questions about this year’s film festival? Please reach out!

Coming Soon: An Exciting 2025 Film Fest Trailer!

Thanks to everyone who submitted a trailer idea!

It’s time to get our community excited about the 2025 Beacon Student Film Festival! The winning idea from our contest will be the focus for a workshop in March, where our crew of professional filmmakers will mentor the participating student(s) in bringing the trailer idea to life!

The final trailer will be featured at the film festival and shown on screens big and small leading up to the event — from the Foundation for Beacon Schools website and social media all the way to the Beacon Movie Theater, our presenting sponsor!

What were the criteria for the trailer ideas?
-Your trailer idea must feature a Beacon landmark
- Your idea should inspire people to come to the film festival in May
- All ideas must be the original work of the submitting student(s)
- Ideas may be submitted by individual BCSD students or groups of students

We can’t wait to reveal the finished product! In the meantime, watch last year’s promo film for inspiration!

2024 BCSD Student Film Festival Trailer

Get inspired by some movie-making magic! This fantastic trailer for the 2024 film festival was spearheaded by local filmmakers Lucas Millard and Ophir Ariel plus many more contributing local film artists. We are so thankful for their hard work and creativity!

director/DP - Lucas Millard (@lucas_millard)
producer/acting coach- Ophir Ariel (@ophirariel)
camera operator - Winfield Nichols XV (@winthnichols)
computers/video village - Guy Du Quesnay (@guyrilla_filmmaker)
gaffer - Dave Ranghelli
set builder - Fay Pacht
editor - Dennis Brady (@denbrady)
filming studio - The Cinehub (@thecinehub)
color/post - bottomless well films
shot on Canon C70 and Fuji XT3

BCSD Student Film Festival FAQ

  • The BCSD Student Film Festival is open to all enrolled district students from grades Pre-K to 12th. All students need to take part is access to a smartphone — and their ideas!

    With the help of friends, family, or teachers, students can make a short film no more than 2 minutes 15 seconds long (including credits) and submit it to be included in this year’s Student Film Festival!

    For high school students only, this year we are able to show a limited number of longer shorts (up to 4 minutes) upon our review team’s approval. While we can’t guarantee we can show all longer films at the festival, we encourage you to submit your project if you’re already working on a film with a bigger scope.

    Make sure your film is shot horizontally / in landscape orientation! Work on your video project from now until the submission deadline of Sunday, April 13, 2025.

    We can accept ONE film project per student, where that student is the lead filmmaker. A project is defined as one film file that meets the length and content requirements of the festival. It is OK for students to be involved with other film festival projects in a supporting role.

    There will be a range of filmmaking workshops in the community from January to the end of March to help students of all ages create a project for the festival. Bookmark this page for more info soon!

    The screening for elementary student films will be Friday, May 16, 2025 and the screening for middle school student films will be Saturday, May 17, 2025. Both of these festival events will take place at the beautiful Seeger Theater at Beacon High School! And NEW this year, the high school screening will be held in mid-May at the fabulous Beacon Movie Theater, our presenting sponsor — exact date coming soon!

    More details to follow about this epic red carpet event, so stay tuned! In the meantime, happy filmmaking!

  • The maximum film length for each submission is 2 minutes 15 seconds (including credits). This is a strict rule to ensure we can show everyone’s films. Due to the volume of films we receive, students may be the lead filmmaker on only one film submission each year, though they may assist on other students’ projects.

    We assume most students will use a smartphone to make their film / video project. File formats we can accept include .mov files (for Apple) and .mp4 (for Android). The submission deadline for the 2025 Student Film Festival is April 13. A parent or caregiver must complete the submission form to give consent for their child to participate in the film festival.

    A parent or caregiver is responsible for overseeing their student’s project. Take extra care when filming outside. Family members, friends, and teachers are welcome to help students make their films! When you are ready to submit your project, complete this form and follow the email instructions.

  • Students are welcome to embrace their favorite film genre (comedy, drama, action, mystery, etc.), create a non-fiction documentary, or capture abstract or non-narrative ideas!

    Feel free to explore:

    Documentary topics such as local history, a favorite place in Beacon, a challenge you have overcome, or an interview with someone you look up to in the community. You could also capture ideas like a “day in the life,” senior year memories, Bulldog spirit!

    Narrative films including comedies, dramas, action films, mysteries, thrillers, fan fiction, spoofs, and more!

    –Other non-narrative films like abstract or figurative artwork set to music, or an original music video. The sky's the limit!

    As far as the style of the film, feel free to explore live action, animation, stop-motion animation, or a mix!

  • As the BCSD Student Film Festival is a community event open to families (often with younger siblings in attendance), we've established content guidelines to help ensure a positive experience for all. Please carefully review the below guidelines before submitting your film. All films submitted to the festival are reviewed by the committee prior to acceptance; we reserve the right not to include film content that could be deemed inappropriate for our audiences.

    We understand that some student filmmakers may wish to explore more mature themes in their films. If you are unsure whether your film idea would be appropriate (especially if you are a high school student submitting a 4-minute film for consideration), you can email us at filmfest@forbeaconschools.org and someone from our review committee will be glad to discuss with you.

    Content Guidelines:

    All film entries must be the original work of the submitting student(s), created for the Film Festival. No artificial intelligence (AI) or excerpts from existing copyrighted / commercial video content (e.g., movie clips) may be used.

    All Elementary School student films should generally adhere to G or PG ratings as defined by the Motion Picture Association, withthe addition of the below guidelines.

    All Middle School and High School student films should generally adhere to G, PG, or PG-13 ratings as defined by the Motion Picture Association, with the addition of the below guidelines.

    No hate speech: Films promoting violence, discrimination, or hate speech based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic are strictly prohibited.

    No explicit content: Profanity (expletives/swear words), nudity, graphic sexual content, and illegal activities (e.g., drug use, underage drinking) are not allowed.

    No graphic violence: The depiction of realistic violent acts (toward oneself, other people, or animals) that may be distressing to some viewers is not permitted.

    We encourage student filmmakers to be creative and explore diverse themes within these guidelines. If you have any questions about the content guidelines, please feel free to email us.

  • Yes! It may sound daunting, but even the simplest story idea shot with basic camerawork can be very powerful. Our inspiration for this event came from Michael Bridenstine, a middle school teacher in NYC. He founded and co-produces the P.S. 187 Film Festival at his son’s school each year. Kids as young as 1st graders have submitted their films to the festival. They have screened over 350 films to date! Michael has some encouraging tips for students, families, and supporting teachers on how to make a great short film here: www.187ff.com/

  • Head over to our Store page, where you can find awesome shirts, hats, bags, and other merch featuring our awesome octopus and dragon mascots!

  • The 2025 BCSD Student Film Festival will take place on Friday, May 16 (for elementary films), Saturday, May 17 (for middle school student films), and we are still finalizing screening plans for the high school screening.

    All student filmmakers will receive a VIP pass good for both screenings! Exact screening times and the link to our ticketing website will be posted in April. We can’t wait to see you for another exciting red carpet event and celebration of student creativity!

  • We’d love to have you participate! If the Film Festival is something that would tie in well with your classes’ work and you would like to incorporate a film project (either individual or groups), let the Foundation know and we can provide additional resources to support you. Email is the best way to reach our team: filmfest@forbeaconschools.org

  • Sponsoring the Film Festival is a great way to support students and build your brand, too! If you are an individual or with a business and you’d like to become a sponsor for this special community event, please contact the Foundation Film Festival team by emailing filmfest@forbeaconschools.org or calling us at 845-288-3009.

    We have a range of sponsorship opportunities, each of which offers exclusive benefits, broad reach, and exposure to an engaged audience of more than 6,000 local residents. Your support will make this magical event sparkle and will advance the work of the Foundation! Thank you!

Any Other Questions?

Email us at filmfest@forbeaconschools.org!

Looking for Some Inspiration?

For some fun inspiration and examples, check out the below 2023 sizzle reel with non-narrative project ideas!

For some tips on how to make a great movie, click below for ideas from our friends at the P.S. 187 Film Festival!

Here’s a quick overview of the filmmaking process, from the pros at New York Film Academy

This is a kid-friendly 1-minute video outlining the steps of making a film

If you need some ideas for how to come up with an idea, watch this short video!

Need help with the structure of your film? Check out this helpful guide to timing.

Creating a storyboard? Find helpful tips in the video below!

For some easy-to-follow filming techniques, check out this video!

Learn how to edit using the “action window” for smooth pacing!

Details on Free Filmmaking Workshops Coming Soon!

Stay tuned for details on filmmaking workshops for students of all age levels.

Huge thanks to the community partners, educators, and industry professionals who help us host awesome, free workshops for student filmmakers! Special thanks for workshop funding support to our friends at Dutchess County and NYS Office of Children and Family Services.

Special Thanks to Our 2024 Film Festival Sponsors!

We greatly appreciate the support of our sponsors, who helped make this film festival possible last year!
We also thank Dutchess County and NYS OCFS for their funding support!

Our Platinum Patron presenting sponsors:

Our Golden Lion partners:

The Highlands Current

Beacon Parks & Recreation

Howland Public Library