This Festival promotes youth voices in the media arts and the advancement of the media arts industry in Montgomery County and the Washington, DC area. The Festival focuses on youth media artists creating works around cultural, community, autobiographical, or social justice topics. The Festival event takes place every April in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The Festival is open to middle and high school students, and in some years, a prize is added for young adults up to age 25. Prizes range from $100 to $300 plus being featured in GB Youth Media's annual installation in the public lobby at 900 Wayne Ave in Silver Spring, Maryland.

MoCo YOUTH MEDIA FESTIVAL
Requirements and fAQs

When and where will the festival be held?

The 2023 MoCo Youth Media Festival will take place at 900 Wayne Ave, in the Levine Music concert hall on the 2nd floor.

April 22, 2023
5:30pm to 7pm
Levine Music

900 Wayne Ave (2nd floor)

Silver Spring, MD

Who can participate?

Middle and high school students from across the DC/MD/VA region are invited to participate in the competition. ​

How can I submit my artwork or video?

You can submit your piece digitally via FilmFreeway. You will need to submit photographs of the front, sides, and back of fine arts pieces. For photographs, specs of the camera equipment used, location, date, and time must be provided, as well as a high resolution jpg or png of the image. Photos featuring people in an enclosed environment have media release attached.

For all submissions, you will need to submit digital files that can be used for official presentation online.

What can I submit?

Choose your theme:

Theme/Topic Choices:​

Cultural or community portrait

Social justice topic and your vision of justice

Autobiographical

Local history related to social justice

Media to choose:

Documentary short film, photography, fine art, or graphic design (sorry, no sculpture this year)

All submissions must have been produced after July 1, 2021. Media created before July 2021 will not be accepted.

What if I need help with my project before it's completed?

GB Youth Media provides free workshops, classes, and assistance to youth artists at our Studio in downtown Silver Spring. Sign up to use the Studio or ask questions. Go to the Home page of www.youthmediamd.org to register.

​​

I made ten videos that I would like to screen. Can I submit them all?

Unfortunately individuals can only submit one video.

How many visual art pieces can I submit?

Individuals can submit only one piece of fine art, graphic design, or photography.

How long can the video be?

Minimum length for video is 30 seconds.

The maximum length for video is 4 minutes.

When will I hear back about my submissions?

Participants will be notified of acceptance around the second week of April 2023. If you are concerned that you haven’t heard from us, please contact Anna and Shereka at info@youthmediamd.org

Are there any prizes?

Yes! There will be 1st Place and 2nd Place in each category, determined by our panel of judges.

Each prize is a cash amount transferred electronically.

If you have additional questions, please contact us at info@youthmediamd.org .

Do I get to exhibit or screen my submission during the Festival?

Yes, finalists are chosen to be exhibited during our May 2023 exhibition in the Silver Spring area.

A limited number of finalists will be screened at the Festival itself on April 23.

Good Luck!

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Thank you so much for letting my film be a part of the festival!

    April 2023
  • Asher Anantham

    This is my "hometown" festival so I am clearly biased, but it gives a great opportunity to young filmmakers to show their work. It is very well organized. I am thankful for having this festival.

    April 2023