PB Film

SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN FOR THE 30th ANNUAL PALM BEACHES STUDENT SHOWCASE OF FILMS

PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL (October 24, 2024)—The Student Showcase of Films (SSOF) will celebrate 30 years in 2025, and you’re invited to a party filled with lights, cameras, and action!  

It’s time to unleash your creativity, as the call for entries is officially open! Watch the video announcement here! The competition is free and open to student filmmakers, screenwriters, graphic designers, and digital media artists currently enrolled in any high school or college in Florida.

Interested faculty and students should visit pbfilm.com/SSOF for more details and entry guidelines for each category. The deadline for entries is February 5, 2025. Winners will be announced at the live awards show on April 25, 2025 (with a 9:30 a.m. Red-Carpet Preshow and 10:30 a.m.  Award Show) hosted at the newly renovated and expanded Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Jupiter, Florida.

2024 was a record-breaking year, with 529 submissions from 93 schools across Florida, and 2025 will seek to break another record, as the best and brightest in the film industry showcase their talents. To celebrate the 30^th anniversary, students can win $30K in cash, scholarships, and prizes.

"In 2025, we’ll proudly celebrate the milestone 30th anniversary of the Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films and open more doors for emerging young filmmakers ready to share their passion and jumpstart their careers. The SSOF continues to be a vital educational and artistic opportunity for Florida students as we expand our outreach, invest in future industry professionals, and promote our community as an entertainment destination," said Michelle Hillery, Film Commissioner of the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission.

Past competition winners have gone on to open their own production companies, direct major motion pictures, write award-winning screenplays and launch careers with top animation houses and production studios.

The categories include:

• Burt Reynolds Scholarship*
• College Feature/Short
• High School Feature/Short
• Documentary
• Music Video
• Animation
• Environmental PSA
• Commercial PSA
• Palm Beach County Tourism PSA
• Screenwriting
• Poster Design
• Teacher of the Year**

*As a tribute to the legacy of film legend Burt Reynolds, the SSOF will present to a Palm Beach County high school senior, The Burt Reynolds Scholarship Award, a $5,000 cash prize. Mr. Reynolds was a Palm Beach County icon, longtime supporter, and frequent presenter at the SSOF.  Runners-up in this selection process have a chance to win one of these four prizes: $1,000 Film Florida Sara Fuller Scholarship, $1,000 Mel Maron Scholarship, $1,000 Gray Family Scholarship, and $1,000 Dr. B. Carleton Bryant Scholarship. **Students are invited to nominate their favorite filmmaking, writing, theater, or digital arts teachers for recognition as Teacher of the Year.

Last year's show was electric, featuring an AI theme. Guests walked the red carpet alongside Spot the Robot, posed in front of an interactive AI LED Wall created by TUCAN Agency, and enjoyed performances by dancers from Digital Vibez. Frank Licari, 2x Emmy-nominated host and Addy and Telly award-winning producer, actor, TV host, writer, improv comedian, and musician, led the live show with endless humor and an opening musical number, with celebrity presenters like Vanilla Ice, Jevon White, and CBS 12’s Matt Lincoln. Kitty Lundan, What’s Poppin’ PBC? star, surprised the crowd with a flash mob performance. Finalists were celebrated in front of an audience of nearly 700 people, and more than $28K in scholarships and prizes were awarded.

Student submissions are viewed and evaluated by a panel of industry professionals from around the globe. Past judges include writer, artist, actor, and host Vanilla Ice; musical director Michael Orland, Grammy-nominated songwriter Elsten Torres; writer, director, and producer Theodore Melfi; award-winning visual effects artist Adam Howard; actor and producer Suzanne Neidland; writer and animator Monte Young; writer and producer Mo Fitzgibbons; composer Hal Rosenfeld; financial consultant Louise Levinson; digital artist Laurence Gartel; producer Elayne "E.K." Keratsis; screenplay consultant Michael Chasin; and many more.

Submit your entries today – share your talents with the world and prepare to step into
the spotlight! For more information, please visit pbfilm.com/SSOF.

Website:       pbfilm.com/SSOF

Facebook:    facebook.com/StudentShowcaseofFilms

Twitter:        twitter.com/StudentFilmsFL

Instagram:   instagram.com/studentfilmsfl 

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About The Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films
The SSOF is the cornerstone of the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission’s education outreach, celebrating Florida’s student filmmakers since 1995. This unique program is specifically designed to inspire and recognize the talent found within Florida’s award-winning educational system, with a goal to strengthen the workforce in Palm Beach County and throughout the state of Florida. The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission is committed to promoting student filmmaking without fees for students to enter their work.

The SSOF is a partnership between the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, the Palm Beach County Department of Housing & Economic Development, the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission, and the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. Together with our generous sponsors, the SSOF has awarded over $4.5M in cash, prizes, scholarships, equipment, and in-kind services to the program during its lifetime.