Calling all high school filmmakers!

On Friday, March 20, 2009 Harvard-Westlake’s 6th annual high school film festival will be held at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood. Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks will speak, followed by a screening of some of the year’s best high school films from around California. The student film festival co-directors are Lauren B. ’09 and Jonathan H. ’09.

We invite students in California in grades 9-12 to submit their best work produced within the last school year (2007-present). A panel of judges will select the films to be screened, then leading industry professionals will critique the finalists and give selected awards.

Our festival has been a tremendous success over the last five years. Last year, 16 films were selected from a submission pool of over 100 and screened to a full house at the ArcLight. Past keynote speakers have included Paul Thomas Anderson and Jason Reitman, and judges have included actors Kevin Costner, Alfre Woodard, and Peter Gallagher, director Lawrence Kasdan, and producers Lucy Fisher, Doug Wick, and Marc Platt, among many others.

This year, 150 films were submitted for consideration. The following 13 films from nine schools were selected for screening on March 20.

All is Full of Love, Chaminade High School
Arterial Deposition in Thought and Being, Oakwood School
A True War Story, Harvard-Westlake School
Care, Harvard-Westlake School
Cheaters Never Prosper, Valhalla High School
Conflict in the Middle Table, Harvard-Westlake School
Hand the Ball, Cleveland High School
Heaven Forbid, Crossroads School
How to Save a Life, Irvine High School
Much Ado About Goblins, Crossroads School
Thriller, El Dorado High School
Untouchable, Harvard-Westlake School
Water Damage, Moorpark High School

Deadline: Closed for 2009
Click Entry Form for details.