Applications to SYMF can be submitted in the following categories: Secondary students, post-secondary students, and non-student amateurs.

TIME OBLIGATION: Thursday evening (3/9), Friday afternoon & evening (3/10), and Saturday afternoon & evening (3/11).

NOTE #1: Anyone who has worked as a professional in the field (i.e., earned income from their work) is ineligible to apply.

NOTE #2: If you submit a Podcast or media in a category not listed, just select the category closest to it when you apply, and we'll take care of it, don't worry!

UPDATE: A Late Deadline has been added. Those submissions will only be reviewed after the applications from the Regular Deadline. Spaces are limited, so submit today!

On March 9-11, 2023, Mesa Arts Center and ASU's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts will present the inaugural Spark Youth Media festival (SYMF), celebrating youth stories through a wide range of digital media. The event will take place at both the Mesa Arts Center (MAC) and the Media & Immersive eXperience Center (MIX), in a partnership including digital media faculty/experts and faculty from the Sidney Poitier New American Film School.

SYMF will include jurying of work by applicants, workshops, master classes, and panel discussions for the participants, public workshops and screenings of work by both the participants and the teachers/industry experts who will mentor them during the event. The festival will share the creative voices of youth in the age range of high school, community college and university, as well as non-traditional students, through film/video, augmented/virtual/extended reality, games, interactive art, podcasts, and more. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend workshops and presentations at Mesa Arts Center (https://mesaartscenter.com/), the largest multi-disciplinary arts center in the Southwest U.S. Participants will also network and be mentored by top names in the industry, as well as have their work showcased at the brand new MIX Center (https://herbergerinstitute.asu.edu/about/locations/mix-center).

SYMF will provide an extraordinary experience of mentorship, validation, learning, connection, and community for the youth participants, and an engaging process of discovery for the visiting public. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Additional prizes to be announced soon!

1st Prize:

$750 for winner in each category PLUS:

Over 18 years old – 3 full scholarships to The Collective, a creative leadership certificate program (6-week program, Jan.-May 2024) ($800 value)

Under 18 years old – 3 full scholarships to CoLab Summer Intensive, storytelling through new media, (1-week intensive, Summer 2023) ($400 value)

2nd Prize:

$250 for runner-up in each category, PLUS:

Over 18 years old – 2 partial scholarships to The Collective, a creative leadership certificate program (6-week program, Jan.-May 2024) ($400 value)

Under 18 years old – 2 partial scholarship to CoLab Summer Intensive, storytelling through new media, (1-week intensive, Summer 2023) ($200 value)

**One scholarship = 1 class/camp/workshop of your choice. Good for a whole calendar year of redemption.

Featured guest artists include:
- Dahlak Brathwaite, a hip-hop-rooted performance artist, spoken word poet, actor, musician, and writer;
- Nonny de la Peña, program director of ASU’s Narrative and Emerging Media program at the new ASU Los Angeles center; and
- Kamal Sinclair, a film producer who specializes in exploring the intersection of arts, culture, community and emerging technology.

We strongly encourage you to review the following carefully. By submitting your project, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to all of the following rules and terms. Please review all submission categories carefully before submitting your project. All projects that have been submitted by our final deadline and that adhere to the following terms will be considered for inclusion in the 2023 Spark Youth Media Festival. SYMF has permission to use images, video, etc. of submissions as part of its promotional materials.

Applications to SYMF can be submitted in the following categories: Secondary students, post-secondary students, and non-student amateurs.

NOTE: Anyone who has worked as a professional in the field (i.e., earned income from their work) is ineligible to apply.

• If your media is not in English, make sure it has English subtitles where necessary.
• We consider work in progress. Please include a title card describing what is unfinished at the beginning of the submission.
• We consider media regardless of their premiere status. Even if your film has already premiered at another festival, whether it screened at a physical venue or online, it’s still eligible for consideration.
• We consider media regardless of their completion date. You can submit any media no matter when it was made.
• Media previously or currently being released in the U.S. by a third party distributor are not eligible for consideration.
• Media previously self-distributed by the filmmakers online are not eligible for consideration in Feature categories.
• The festival has the right to use a trailer, stills, pics, and posters for promotional purposes in various social media posts, websites, etc.

For Augmented/Extended/Virtual Reality film submissions, see requirements below:

For 360° video — please provide either or both:
A) Private 360-enabled screener (Vimeo, YouTube or Oculus Media Studio.)
B) Downloadable video link.
NOTE: 360° video is reviewed via headset whenever possible.

For tethered/VIVE/Rift/Quest and other roomscale/interactive projects:
We REQUIRE a full video recording of the experience. While you may include app links and builds alongside that — the video screener is the primary format for consideration. Lastly, please detail any needs for the exhibition (such as schematics, compatible HMD/tech, etc.).