We proudly present the 34th Aspiring Minds Film Festival, an illustrious platform showcasing the finest film works from our talented students and esteemed filmmakers across the California Bay Area.

Date and Venue:

Join us for a morning of cinematic splendor on Thursday May 7th, at 5PM. The festival will be hosted at Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Rd, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, in the Forum, under the library, near Parking Lot 3.

Event Highlights:

The festival will culminate in a live question-and-answer session and an Awards Ceremony immediately following the screenings, celebrating the outstanding achievements of participating filmmakers.

We eagerly await your submissions and look forward to an evening of inspiring filmography and artistic expression.

As part of our ongoing commitment to honor and celebrate the artistry of filmmakers, the Aspiring Minds Film Festival is delighted to announce the following award categories:

*Best Acting
*Best Screenplay
*Best Cinematography
*Best Editing
*Best Directing
*Best Highschool Film
*Best College Film
*Best In Show
*Audience Choice Award

Eligibility for Awards

Keeping with the festival's focus on nurturing local talent, these awards are exclusively open to students from Community Colleges and High Schools within the California Bay Area. This is an integral part of our initiative to foster and recognize emerging cinematic talent at the grassroots level.

Screening Opportunities for Non-Student Films

While non-student films and works by University students are ineligible for awards, they are most welcome to participate in the festival screenings. These entries will be honored with an Official Selection Laurel, acknowledging their contribution to the event.

Note on Trophy Distribution

Please be advised that trophies will not be mailed at the festival's expense. Award recipients are requested to make arrangements to collect their trophies.

1) Duration Limit: Films submitted should not exceed 10 minutes. (That includes credits)

2) Genre Diversity: We welcome submissions from all genres, celebrating the rich diversity of cinematic expression.

3) Selection Process: Submission of a film does not automatically ensure its acceptance into the festival.

4) Content Guidelines: All submissions must be appropriate for a general audience. Please refrain from including extreme gore or explicit sexual content.

5) Submission Fee: The submission fee is allocated toward funding the awards.

6) Eligibility for Student Entries: To qualify as a student submission, the film must have been created during the filmmaker’s enrollment in either a high school or college. Films do not need to be part of a school assignment. Graduates are eligible, provided the film was made during their student years.

7) Multiple Submissions: Filmmakers may submit multiple projects. However, only one film per director will be selected for screening. Films may have overlapping producers, cast, or crew members.

8) No Refunds: Please note that submission fees are non-refundable.

9) Judging and Awards: Our panel will pre-select the winners for each category before the event. The Audience Choice Award will be an exception, as votes from festival attendees will determine it.

10) Language and Subtitles: If the film is not in English, it should be subtitled in English. This is important for ensuring accessibility and understanding among a diverse audience.

11) Filmmaker Attendance: The event will be FREE to attend. If possible, we encourage filmmakers to attend the festival for networking and Q&A sessions. This enhances the festival experience for both the audience and the filmmakers.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • I had a great experience the host and crew were very welcoming.
    there was a lot of talented people hopefully its bigger and i can't wait for next year. thank you for giving me the opportunity to show people my film "Lucky 8"

    May 2026
  • Joey Chavez

    I really liked how the film festival was at an actual movie theatre

    June 2024
  • Mellissa Katarina

    I have been attending this festival for years to simply enjoy the short films, however, I recently gained courage to make my own short! I loved the attention to detail and dedication this festival has to it's filmmakers and Tony, the festival director, really ensures that the Festival is a supportive environment to all types of filmmakers and students. Thank you for the amazing experience and I can't wait to either attend Aspiring Minds soon as a guest or director!

    February 2024
  • Jonathon Villegas

    An amazing time!!! So many young talented minds!

    December 2023
  • Tony and his crew were amazing, thank you very much for a great festival!

    December 2023