DO NOT SUBMIT UNLESS YOU MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:

- Your film was completed after March 2023.
- All intellectual property must have originated from submitting student(s) (AI, teachers, adult professionals, etc. are not permitted).
- Majority of production team must be comprised of students.

The 2024 Sierra Canyon Film Festival is presented by Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California, 20 miles from the heart of Hollywood. While our festival is sponsored and promoted by Sierra Canyon School, this year's festival will take place in the wonderful screening room of the United Talent Agency in Beverly Hills.

Sierra Canyon School is an independent, college preparatory school that maintains exceptional visual and performing arts programs with a robust film program. The Sierra Canyon Film Festival is focused on short films in any genre produced by student filmmakers and provides a forum for young filmmakers to display their work, network with other young filmmakers, and to learn more about the world of filmmaking from an industry guest speaker (yet to be announced).

The Sierra Canyon Film Festival is typically held at a major Los Angeles area film studio in the spring of each calendar year. Past festivals have been sponsored by Final Draft, The New York Film Academy, Avid, T&T Capital, and Tanner Films.

United Talent Agency (UTA) is a global talent agency based in Beverly Hills, California, that represents artists and other professionals across the entertainment industry. UTA has divisions focused on film, television, music, sports, digital, books, video games, branding and licensing, speaking, marketing, fine arts, news, and broadcasting, among others, and is proud to host the Sierra Canyon Film Festival.

Each year, we welcome an industry guest speaker to kick off the festival and to conduct a private 30 minute Q&A session with the filmmakers. Past speakers have included producer and director Jon Turtletaub (National Treasure), Allison Abbate (Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, The Lego Movie), Ruth Vitale (Founder and Co-President of Paramount Classics and President of Fine Line Features), and Tom Nunan (Bullseye Entertainment).

Our mission at the Sierra Canyon Film Festival is to showcase and promote the best student filmmakers from around the world.

Learn more about our festival at https://www.sierracanyonschool.org/page/arts/scs-film-festival

Awards and prizes vary from year to year and have included film academy scholarships, video editing software, and cash/gift card prizes.

All winners receive a physical award and the opportunity to screen their film in front of an audience of student filmmakers and industry professionals.

Filmmakers are highly encouraged to attend the event if possible. A one-on-one discussion with a high-level industry professional is included for every entrant in the evening program.

Here is a list of our current awards we will likely be handing out on the day of the festival (depending on the films we select):

- Best of Fest
- First Runner-Up
- Second Runner-Up
- Trailblazer Award
- Best College Film
- Best Animation
- Best Micro-Film (2 minutes or less)

All films submitted must have been completed after March, 2023.

All high school and college films submitted must have been started and completed by a high-schooler or college student enrolled in an American school (homeschooling and both public and independent schools are acceptable). Films do not need to be a part of a school project.

We are interested in the lives of young filmmakers, as represented in their art, and so are open to topics, themes, and ideas of all kinds. However, films that feature violence, drug use, sexually explicit content, will likely not be selected.

The Sierra Canyon Film Festival/Sierra Canyon School is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.

The individual submitting the film hereby warrants that they are authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

Sierra Canyon Film Festival reserves the right to refuse entries for any reason.

The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Sierra Canyon School/Sierra Canyon Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • They had a really nice outdoor screening on campus. Glad I went. It was fun to meet other filmmakers and get feedback on my film.

    April 2021