Entry Categories
Animation/Motion Graphics
Animation or animated graphics created on computer using CGI tools such as Blender, ToonBoom, After Effects, Motion, Adobe Animate, Canva etc., or handmade 2D or 3D animation or other manual techniques such as stop motion.
Dramatic Narrative
Tells a dramatic, fictional story.
Suspense
Tells a suspenseful or scary fictional story.
Comedic Narrative
Tells a comedic, fictional story.
Satire/Mocumentary/Parody
Using humor, irony, exaggeration, or imitation to criticize or otherwise poke fun. Satire focuses on critical commentary of human behavior. Parody pokes fun at something by imitating it. Mocumentary is a fictional film in the style of a documentary, and pretends to be a documentary.
Documentary
A production using techniques such as interviews, voice-over narration, photographs and/or footage of actual events to explain, explore, or tell the story of a real person, organization, program, event, incident, idea, or concept.
Music Video
A film intended to interpret a piece of music. Like the Art Film category, the film may or may not tell a story. See the Art Film section for more relevant information. The music is used in its entirety, and the images are edited to the music.
Art Film
Like music video, this category is open-ended, using many different shooting and editing techniques, special effects and sound to express its context. Unlike music videos, its intention is not to interpret a piece of music. Rather, when music is used, it is used as one element among many to create a unified whole. Art films can explore and expand the current limits of film language. Many techniques commonly used by mainstream filmmakers today began as experiments by artists.
Commercial
A short commercial advertisement as on television or increasingly in movie theaters, no more than 2 minutes (120 seconds) in length. This category also includes movie trailers.
PSA/Anti-Ad
Like an advertisement, a Public Service Announcement (PSA) has a message, but it is non-commercial and no more than 2 minutes (120 seconds) in length. Funny or serious, anti-ads explicitly or implicitly question or comment on the content and/or structure of commercial advertising.
Educational/Informational/Video Essay
& Non-Fiction News or Sports Feature
Combining two former categories into one this year. An educational video is intended to teach the audience how to do something (often through a step-by-step process), or teach a concept, or to otherwise inform an audience. Some students are using "video essay" now to express or describe ideas, thoughts, or emotions on a variety of topics. A News/Sports video is not
an entire TV-style news program or sports program, but an individual feature, or promo on a specific event, person, sport, team, etc.
The All-Girls Film Challenge Networking Event
Winning entries in 2024's event will also be screened during the NWHSFF event this year.
Western Theme/Style
A NEW category this year based around the NWHSFF theme for 2024. Videos in this category should reflect a classic movie western in their use of location, costuming, style, animals, characters, dialog, action, and imagery. NO GUNPLAY ALLOWED based on NWHSFF rules regarding weapons, so you'll need to be super creative. The video can be dramatic or parody. Who will be the next John Ford or Sergio Leone? Is it you buckaroo?