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.
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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.
Non-Fiction News or Sports Feature
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.
NEW CATEGORIES THIS YEAR (2026)
Broadcast Show
A show that was broadcast to the school or community this past school year. The style of your show can vary. It could be a "daily bulletin" show or a campus "magazine" show or a "special feature" show. The submission must be under 10 minutes. If your show is longer than that, just submit the best unedited 10-minute sequence. Maximum one show per school and only one show will be selected for the Award of Excellence. This will be selected in a “Cage Match” winner-take-all style with each school getting one vote. And you can’t vote for yourself. Details will follow.
Vertical Hype Video
Create an engaging hype video, shot and edited entirely in 9:16 vertical format. The story can focus on a person, sport, event, or club that’s relevant and engaging for a social media audience. Use strong visuals, music, b-roll, natural sound, text to craft a story that’s quick to catch attention and easy to follow in a vertical frame.