Show your talent and enhance your film portfolio in Southern California’s leading festival for high school students.

The Annual TVT Southern California High School Film Festival aims to provide a platform for young high school filmmakers to showcase their work, receive feedback and inspire others. The Innovation Institute at TarbutV'Torah (TVT) in Irvine is putting on this festival as a way of bringing together the many excellent high school film programs in the area. The TVT Southern California High School Film Festival strives to provide a larger audience, more immediate feedback, and a culture of creativity in the Orange County area for devoted young artists.

This year's event will be held on Saturday March 7th from 8:00-10:00 PM at The Frida Cinema in Sant Ana 305 E 4th St #100 Ca. 92701
Finalists must attend the event in order to receive their gift cards and trophy.

This year's preliminary judges are:
Javier Reyna - Reyna’s films include: Legwork, and Junk Drawer, and his most recent award winning film Regionrat.

This year's finalist judges are:
Dr. Erica Aguero - Chapman Film and Media Professor Dr. Aguero earned her Masters and PhD from the Cinema and Media Studies program at UCLA's Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media. She is currently working on a book project entitled "Music That Moves: Television Music, Industrial Travel, and Consumer Agency in Contemporary Media Culture"

Rachel Bass - A 2013 graduate of Amherst College where Rachel majored in Black Studies with a focus on Film. She creates stories that shine a spotlight on the injustice of the current status quo. She is a recipient of the Director’s Guild of America Student Award and is currently on faculty at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

The TVT Film Festival is an outgrowth of a film program that got its start 14 years ago under the inspired direction of Kim Hays: Film Studies, Digital Media, and Technology Teacher. In fact it is Kim Hays who created these programs at TVT. Tarbut V'Torah has put on a festival every year featuring the films made by the students in both the film program and the Jewish Studies program. As the popularity, intensity, and seriousness of the films and those who participated in the making of these films grew so has the scope of the festival. This is the fifth year it has been open to the community at large.

Gift cards to B&H Photo:
1st Place • $400
2nd Place • $300
3rd Place • $200
Audience Choice - $100

This festival is intended to showcase High School student work. Films must be created by amateur students in association with a film class or on their own. The film must be made while the student currently attends high school or made during the time the film maker was in High School. 1-15 minute original content entries only, all genres are welcome. G to PG-13 rated films only. Films will be placed into categories ranging from Best Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Animation, Diversity and Inclusion, as well as additional categories determined by the submissions. Film maker or makers must be present or have a representative at the screening in order to receive their prize. This year the order of the first, second, and third place winner will be determined at the time of the screening by the 3 finalist judges who will be in attendance. In addition there is an audience favorite award. Bring your friends so they can vote for your film! The cost to Submit a film is FREE! Filmmakers receive 3 free tickets for the night of the screening, after which the cost of admission is $10.00.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Austin Coombs-Perez

    This festival was a lot of fun! The event was outdoors with a theatre sized screen, and a professional projector. The image was great. Before it was dark enough to screen films, the school music program performed and that was cool. The tickets are $10 at the door but every film gets 4 free tickets. The director of every film receives an awesome trophy, and they gave out $1k in B&H gift cards!

    May 2018
  • Brandon Layman

    Such a fun festival!! Awesome venue and the people are great!

    May 2018
  • Brendan Hickey

    I wasn't able to attend the festival, but for the opportunity this festival gave me and other young filmmakers to get their work seen and featured, I am so extremely thankful. I think its super cool that these folks put on this fest for youth filmmakers and hopefully I'll be able to attend next year

    April 2017
  • Jack Andreas

    Great festival! Awesome venue and very nice people!

    February 2017
  • Koby Park

    Loved it! Thanks for the BandH gift card!

    September 2016