The Virginia Student Film Festival (VSFF) is a student-run film festival that displays and awards films created by college students throughout Virginia and the United States. This immersive experience will allow student films to be screened and celebrated. During this day-long event, films will be shown at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, Virginia, in front of a live audience.

The Virginia Student Film Festival will be held on Sunday, April 6th, 2025, and will consist of two screenings, a panel discussion, and a reception.

The first screening (11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) will display films from Virginia College filmmakers.

A panel discussion (2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.) comprised of student filmmakers discussing their films and answering audience questions.

The second screening (3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) will showcase films from College filmmakers throughout the United States.

Red-carpet event (6:00 - 7:00) in the lobby of the Paramount Theater. UVA Reporters will interview filmmakers and take photos of the event.

A grand award show will follow at 7:00 p.m. at the Paramount Theater. Led by a charismatic emcee and accompanied by music from a UVA band, the show will present seven different awards. There will be a short intermission with a live performance. The night will conclude with the GRAND PRIZE for "Best Short Picture."

The selection process for submitted films has two stages. First, a student-led jury will select from the submitted films, which will be screened, and nominate films for awards in each of the six categories. Following the selection and nomination, a jury comprised of Professors from various academic institutions throughout Virginia will award a film for each category.

The Virginia Student Film Festival was founded in 1997 by the Filmmakers’ Society (FMS), a CIO at the University of Virginia, as a means to showcase its members’ work. The festival was last held in 2016 but has been revived after a nine-year hiatus.

The UVA Student Council and Filmmakers Society at UVA are supporting the Virginia Student Film Festival.

Supported by The Jefferson Trust.

Supported by UVA Arts & the Office of the Provost & the Vice Provost for the Arts.

Submitted films are eligible for the following awards and cash prizes:

• Best Short Picture - $1000
• Best Actor - $300
• Best Director - $300
• Best Short Screenplay - $300
• Best Cinematography - $300
• Best Editing - $300
• Wahoo Award - $300

- To be eligible you must be a current College/University student in the United States of America.

- All non-English language submissions must be subtitled in English.

-Films must be under 20 minutes long

- Films must be submitted by Director or Producer.

- Films must be the original work of the applicants.

- Applicants are responsible for obtaining all necessary rights and permissions for third-party materials included in their films, including but not limited to music, trademarks, logos, copyrights, and other intellectual property.