Future Filmmakers :: Make a 1-7 Minute Monster Movie by October 22 and Enter to Win!

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We'd like to thank our partners at Comcast for sponsoring the Portland Film Festival's Future Filmmakers event and for providing the details on this exciting opportunity for Oregon and southwest Washington kids!

With the spooky season upon us, it’s time for monster movies, and who better to create one than your budding young filmmaker? If your kid has a knack for making films, or has just been curious about the craft, our partners at Comcast invite them to submit their own 1-7 minute Monster Movie to the Future Filmmakers event as part of the Portland Film Festival. Participants have the  chance to win cash prizes and see their films broadcast nationwide!

Monster Movie Contest Poster ImageTo know more about this awesome opportunity, and how kids can get involved, we chatted with Rebecca Brown, senior director of community impact for Oregon and Southwest Washington at Comcast. Rebecca, like many these days, was working from her home office while her kids were at school, and we’re grateful she snuck in a few minutes to share details about Future Filmmakers with us.

Portland Mom Collective
Tell us what we need to know about Future Filmmakers and the Portland Film Festival.

Rebecca Brown
In the past, the Portland Film Festival and Comcast hosted kid filmmaking workshops with The Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland. This year, we’re working with them again, but virtually, so we couldn’t do the same workshop. Instead, the kids have been making films with their small cohorts at the clubs.

But because of the virtual component, we were able to open the competition to all kids in our Oregon and southwest Washington community. Kids K-12 are invited to participate, and the deadline to submit a film is October 22.

There’s a workshop video posted on the website that gives good advice from local professional artists, and there are guidelines on the website about what the festival is looking for in submissions. Essentially, the kiddos create a 1-7 minute short film that is around the monster-movie/scary-movie concept. They craft the storyline, characters, make-up, everything. They get to create the entire story, film it, and go through the creative process to make a short movie. Then they submit online where there will then be a panel that reviews the films, and there will be cash prizes given out for a total up to $2500. 

Portland Mom Collective
How does film judging work?

Rebecca Brown
The submissions will be segmented by age ranges, so a high school student isn’t competing against a first grader, for example. There will be essentially elementary, middle school, and high school groups. We were so excited to inspire our next generation of storytellers and creators.

Future Filmmakers: Three kids stand around a cameraPortland Mom Collective
What happens once a film is submitted?

Rebecca Brown
There is an initial review to ensure all video is appropriate, as outlined on the Portland Film Festival site. Judges from the Portland Film Festival will then watch the films, and they will begin to be available towards the end of the week of October 25th to Xfinity customers. People can say, “Portland Film Festival” into their Xfinity voice remote, and there will be a block that says “Future Filmmakers Monster Movies” and the roster of films will be showcased there.

Portland Mom Collective
How will the winners be celebrated?

Rebecca Brown
Winners will be contacted individually and announced on the website.

Portland Mom Collective
Who can see the submissions?

Rebecca Brown
Only people with X1 TV or Xfinity Flex streaming services will be able to see all the films. The winning monster movies will be posted on the Future Filmmakers website, but the entire roster of films will only be available through those platforms.

Portland Mom Collective
What else should people know about Future Filmmakers?

Rebecca Brown
This is a fun opportunity; it doesn’t have to be a perfect film! Movies can be filmed on a smartphone. When we did the Future Filmmakers event in-person before COVID, kids made movies in just a few hours. It’s about the creative process, and the kids having a fun way to share something with a big audience.

That’s the exciting part. Yes, you do have the chance to win some cash, and that’s fantastic. But, even more so, you are creating a film that is going to be uploaded as part of the Portland Film Festival that anyone nationwide who has Xfinity can view these movies. So it’s not just here in Oregon and southwest Washington — these movies will be available across our footprint.

You can also see the prior Future Filmmakers movies that kids have made, they are loaded and available now. Get a preview and see what’s been created in the past — maybe it will inspire your future film!

How It Works

  • The contest is open to kids from Oregon or southwest Washington in grades K-12
  • Films should be 1-7 minutes in length
  • Deadline to submit films (via the Future Filmmakers website) is October 22, 2021
  • The theme is monsters, Halloween, spooky things, and Did de Los Muertos.
  • Films must be appropriate for ALL audiences
  • Films can not include businesses, logos, or other promotions
  • Avoid using copyrighted music
  • Make sure your film has good sound and visual quality
  • Have TONS of fun!

Watch a helpful video and learn more about how to submit your film at the Future Filmmakers website.