Submit your films and walk the red carpet with us in February.

Sponsored by Samy's Camera, and hosted by American Cinematheque at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, as well as the student filmmakers of Pacifica Christian High School, the festival seeks to encourage relationships in the Los Angeles filmmaking community, celebrate filmmaking achievements, and to inspire creativity and collaboration among high school filmmakers.

13th Annual Screen Student Film Festival
Friday, February 21, 2020
7:00 pm Doors Open, Walk the red carpet
7:30 pm • Film Festival • Aero Theater • 1328 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403

We would love to count you and your students among our 2020 invitees, to celebrate film with you here in Santa Monica at the historic Aero Theater, and enjoy an evening with passionate film lovers like you.

If you have submitted in the past, we loved watching your films- please send more! If you have been accepted in the past, we loved sharing your work with others- so send more! And if you never submitted before, we want to help MORE people to see YOUR work!

Last year we received work representing California high schools, from San Francisco to San Diego, and enjoyed submissions from many new contributing schools. Count yourself as one of the 2020 participants by submitting your work today!

Prizes are generously donated by our sponsor, Samy's Camera:

Best Documentary
Best Cinematography
Best Directing
Best Writing
Best Editing
Best of Fest
FAN Favorite

All official selections will receive a swag bag and winners will receive a plaque at the end of the event.

1) Films must have been filmed, wrapped, edited, and completed between the months of January 2019 and January 2020 by California HIGH SCHOOL students.

2) Films must have been directed, written, and edited by high school students only. Films by high school seniors spring semester 2018 are eligible only if the films were completed prior to college enrollment.

3) Films must be under 15 minutes in length

4) Submissions accepted via FilmFreeway. Films should be the highest HD quality you can provide. If a lesser quality file is submitted and you are selected, we will require you to send a higher quality version prior to the festival.

5) Must be submitted by January 10, 2020

6) By submitting a film to the SCREEN Film Festival, filmmakers affirm that they have cleared all rights to materials within their films including but not limited to music rights, actors releases, etc.

7) Filmmakers who are selected to the SCREEN Film Festival allow their film to be shared on youtube in a compilation reel, after the festival takes place on February 21, 2020.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Super kind, professional, and a great festival overall. I had a blast and will definitely recommend to other filmmakers. Thank you so much!

    March 2020
  • A great festival! Lovely theater, atmosphere, and people. I won Best Writing for my film and got some cool equipment. Will be submitting again. :)

    February 2020
  • Brought the cast of my film and we had a great time at the SCREEN festival.
    Perfect venue, really nice people, and a bunch of interesting films.
    Very professional and fun at the same time.

    March 2018
  • James Diep

    Lovely and friendly festival. Everyone goes home with a ‘swag bag’ which is awesome! The festival is straight to the point and well made

    March 2018
  • Madelyn Youngerman

    Overall it was a good film festival that had interesting opportunities before the screening.

    March 2017