Film Rush is Manatee County’s competition to showcase creative, talented student filmmakers of Manatee County, Florida. This juried film competition is the first step for students entering FAME’s (Florida Association for Media in Education) Jim Harbin Festival. The festival is in honor of Jim Harbin, a former Florida DOE consultant who originated the idea of a statewide student media festival.

2024 Entry Deadline: March 18th, 2024
The film contest is open to all students in grades K-12 who attend school in Manatee County, FL. Entries must be created exclusively by students (under the guidance of an adult adviser), and all entries must follow necessary guidelines for submission.

Categories include: Animation, Book Trailers, Comedy, Drama, Instructional Video, Music Video, News Feature, News Show, Public Service Announcement, and Public Service Video

Awards & Prizes

This juried film competition is the first step for students entering FAME’s (Florida Association for Media in Education) Jim Harbin Festival. The festival is in honor of Jim Harbin, a former Florida DOE consultant who originated the idea of a statewide student media festival.

Rules & Terms

Visit the following link for categories and rules.
https://www.floridamediaed.org/jim-harbin-entry-information.html
If a time limit is not specified for the category, it remains at 7 minutes or less.
Show intros do NOT fit in any category. All categories must tell a story. ​
Only students in Manatee County, FL are eligible to enter the contest.

All entries must be student written and produced in their entirety, with the signed approval of an active FAME member. Teachers/Sponsors are NOT allowed to write, record or edit. Teachers/Sponsors are only allowed to advise.

Important note about using ANY non-student-produced content (images, video, or audio):

All non-student written and produced materials must include a signed release, specifying permission for use from the owner of that material. Copyright permission must be credited in writing on the entry form for use of images, all music (original or non-original), and authoring programs. Entries with identifiable copyright violations will be disqualified. Fair Use Guidelines do not apply to Jim Harbin entries. Creative Commons licensed content is allowed but must follow the correct guidelines, and attribution must be included. Please include attribution or proper notation for ALL content, even CC0 and Public Domain content.

Please see the website for complete rules and entry information:
https://www.floridamediaed.org/jim-harbin-entry-information.html