High School Showcase · Year one · June 2026.
Your film.
A real festival.
A real audience.
SilverVox invites high school filmmakers, grades 9–12, to put their work on a professional festival screen in downtown Frederick, alongside independent filmmakers from around the world. Free to enter. Open to students across the U.S.
The next generation
The next great storytellers are in high school right now. We want them on our screens, in our Q&As and in the room.
Year one
Students showed up.
32
High School Showcase entries
33%
Of all submissions came from students
$0
To enter. Free for students + schools
9–12
Grades eligible
What we’re looking for
Every kind of
student film.
Narrative, documentary, experimental, animation, music videos, broadcast and journalism pieces. If students made it, we want to see it.
Selected films screen at a professional festival venue in front of a public audience, with recognition and awards for standout work. It’s real-world experience presenting work to people who came to watch.
Storytelling. Originality. Vision. Craft. Impact.
3–5 minutes
Short film
Runtime doesn’t include opening titles or end credits.
10–15 minutes
Extended short
Same rules, more room to tell the story.
Any genre
All types
Narrative, documentary, experimental, animation, music video, broadcast + journalism.
Why enter
More than
a class project.
SilverVox gives student filmmakers what most festivals save for professionals.
01
A big screen
Your film plays a real festival venue in historic downtown Frederick, on a big screen.
02
Recognition
Awards and honors for standout student work, plus regional recognition that looks great on a college or film-school application.
03
The festival
Four days of films, music and talks with working filmmakers and artists, a few blocks from your screening.
How to enter
Three steps.
Zero dollars.
Step 01
Make it
Students fill every key creative role. Teachers, advisors and parents mentor; students direct, shoot and edit.
Step 02
Submit it
Enter on FilmFreeway in the High School Film category. There’s no cost for students or schools.
Step 03
Send the forms
Parent or guardian consent for each student, and media releases for everyone on screen. Incomplete entries aren’t reviewed.
Before you submit
Your checklist.
Entry form
Required
Completed on FilmFreeway in the High School Film category.
Consent
Required
A parent or guardian consent form for every participating student.
Download Release Form.
Media release
Required
For everyone who appears on screen.
Your film
Required
The final film file in the required digital format.
Enrollment
If asked
Proof that students were enrolled in grades 9–12 during production and submission.
Questions about forms or formats? Get in touch →
Guidelines
The fine print.
Who’s eligible?
- Currently enrolled high school students in grades 9–12.
- Public, private and homeschool students.
- Students must be enrolled at the time of production and submission. Proof of enrollment may be required.
- The showcase focuses on Maryland, Virginia, D.C., West Virginia and Pennsylvania, but any U.S. high school student can submit.
FILM CATEGORIES AND LENGTH
- Films must fall into one of the following runtime categories. Runtime does not include opening titles and end credits.
- We are currently accepting student-created films of all types, including:
Narrative films, Broadcast and journalism pieces, Documentaries, Experimental films, Animation - Short Film 3–5 minutes
- Extended Short Film
10–15 minutes - All films must be in English or have English subtitles.
Can adults help?
- Films can be made by individuals or teams.
- All key creative roles must be filled by currently enrolled high school students.
- Teachers, advisors and parents can mentor and guide, but can’t serve in primary creative or technical roles.
What content is allowed?
Films must be appropriate for a general festival audience. We don’t accept:
- Hate speech, or discriminatory or harassing material
- Unsafe or dangerous stunts performed without proper supervision
- Copyright violations
- Illegal activity shown without a clear narrative purpose
The festival can disqualify films that don’t meet these standards.
AI POLICY
SilverVox celebrates films and music made by people. We do not accept work whose creative content (script, footage, images, music, voices or performances) was created with generative AI.
AI-powered tools that clean up or correct material you made are welcome. These include noise reduction, color correction, stabilization, restoration, rotoscoping and captioning.
All submitters must disclose any AI use on the submission form. Disclosing assistive tools will never count against your film.
Not sure if a tool is allowed? Ask us before you submit.
Music, footage + copyright
- All films must be original works made by the students.
- No copyrighted music, footage or images without proper licensing. Public domain and properly licensed material is fine.
- Plagiarism or copyright infringement means immediate disqualification.
Who owns the film?
Students keep full copyright. By submitting, you give SilverVox non-exclusive permission to screen the film at the festival, use it in festival promotion and post the film or excerpts on our website and social channels after the event. We never claim ownership.
How are films judged?
- Storytelling and originality
- Creativity and artistic vision
- Technical quality: cinematography, editing, sound
- Performances, if applicable
- Overall impact
Judges’ decisions are final.
For teachers + media educators
Bring your class
to the festival.
Share this call with your students. It’s free for schools and teachers, and it gives students real experience presenting their work to a public audience. Want to talk about bringing a class or a program to SilverVox? We’d love to hear from you.