PB Film

All Girl Film Team Wins “Best Film” In Nation's Only Film Festival For Middle School Students!

Academy Award Winner, Famous Producers are judges!

“The winners of “Best Film” this year is an all-girl middle school film team with four 6th graders and one 8th grader who had no previous experience,” Festival Founder states.

Palm Springs, Florida (12/13/16) – Almost 200 people packed the sound stage at G-Star Studios for the 2nd Annual Cell Phone Film Festival Red Carpet Gala and Awards Ceremony held on December 10, 2016.  The Cell Phone Film Festival for middle school students is the only one of its kind anywhere in the world, and is sponsored by the Palm Beach International Film Festival, G-Star Studios, G-Star School of the Arts and See-Worthy Films.

The evening started with a showing of all of the short films on the big screen.  When the middle school students were asked what it was like seeing their film on “the big screen” many replied “it was so cool” and “I felt like I was a real movie star.”  The kids beamed as everyone clapped and cheered after each film. 

Two of our esteemed judges attended the ceremony to present the awards.  Mr. Dick Arlett is a former producer of The Today Show, producer of many of the Bob Hope specials, along with various holiday specials for television, one of the original creators of the TV show Wings and has produced numerous award- winning documentaries.  Mr. Arlett presented the “Best Film” award.  Mr. Arthur Bernstein wrote and produced the film “Walt before Mickey” and has two more films being released this coming year.  Mr. Bernstein presented the “Best Actor & Actress” awards. 

After the first 10 categories of awards were all handed out, the big moment came…the winner of “Best Film.”  “Every film had a chance to win “Best Film” because they all were so good,” stated Dawn Hauptner, the film festival’s founder.  “I’m glad I wasn’t a judge because they all had a difficult time deciding on just one film.”  The film that won the top award of “Best Film” was called “98164” and was written, directed, acted and edited by an all-girl film team consisting of four 6th graders and one 8th grader.  Lauren, Charlotte, Angie, Sophia and Emily worked together to produce a most unique film.  When interviewed, they stated that “two of us wanted to do a comedy and the other three wanted to do a mystery film, so we decided to combine them and do one with both.”  The film ended up being about four girls on a bus with a teacher and one by one they all start disappearing, but only the lead, played by Lauren, is aware of each of them disappearing.  The comedy was worked in with some of the dialogue being witty, funny comments by two of the girls. 

The parents were just as enthusiastic as the kids and couldn’t believe how wonderful this event was for their children.  “Every child got to walk the red carpet and receive a certificate for film making.  It was so special,” stated one parent.  Another parent commented that “my daughter has been so excited from the first day.  Now she’s won an award and she’s in heaven!”  The evening ended with a group photo of everyone smiling giving the “thumbs-up.”  Great job from everyone.

For more information, contact Dawn Hauptner at 561-818-6534 or [email protected].  Go to our Facebook page (Cell Phone Film Festival) to view more photos and videos.

Cell Phone Film Fest Awards Table

“Best Film” presented by judge Dick Arlett (L)

 A standing ovation for all of our filmmakers!     

The Cell Phone Film Festival junior filmmakers!

About the Cell Phone Film Festival - This is the only film festival for middle school students that we know of in the world.  This free one-day event requires no experience in film or acting, and is held in October at G-Star Studios in Palm Springs, FL.  It is open to all middle school students in Palm Beach County, FL.  The 6th, 7th, & 8th graders learn how to write, shoot, act in and edit a short film using pre-constructed “horror” sets and only a cell phone. The kids have 3 weeks to edit their films and submit them.  Our judges judge them in 11 categories and the top award is the “Best Film” award.  The “Best Film” awardees become our representatives of the Cell Phone Film Festival for the year and are awarded again at the Palm Beach International Film Festival Student Showcase of Films in March.  Our judges for this year’s entrants were Bobby Moresco, the Academy Award winning Co-writer and Producer of CRASH and Million Dollar Baby; Dean Lyon, a Special Visual Effects Supervisor of all three Lord of the Rings movies; Jeff Davis, the Film and Broadway Producer of Rock of Ages with Tom Cruise, Legally Blonde; Dick Arlett, world traveling Field Producer of NBC’s The Today Show; and Arthur Bernstein, Writer and Producer of the film Walt Before Mickey.  

####