ST. LOUIS YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL (STLYFF) was established by retired educator, filmmaker, and activist Thomasina Clarke in 2024 to highlight young filmmakers from the greater St. Louis region. The festival, which officially launches in 2025, emphasizes original content that can captivate, entertain, and/or inspire through creativity and innovation. This festival is funded by Regional Arts Commission (RAC) and cosponsored by St. Louis Public Library, Central Library.
STLYFF is launching with STL SHORTY SHORTS, featuring 3 to 10-minute narratives, documentaries, and animations. Six entrants will be chosen and designated 2025 STLYFF OFFICIAL SELECTION. They will be celebrated at STLYFF’s first festival at St. Louis Public Library, Central Library, 1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 11 AM-1:00 PM, where their short film will be presented to the public with a Q&A following each screening. Honorable Mentions will be shown on monitors in designated areas at the venue, with opportunities for the audience to meet these creatives. A link to all selections will be made available on the STLYFF website. Students, adults, and professionals may assist with videography and editing. There are no submission fees and the festival is free and open to the public.
Please read through our submission guidelines carefully. Incomplete submissions will be automatically disqualified from the selection process. Submissions featuring defamatory material, such as excessive swearing, obscenity, explicit or graphic sexual content including nudity, violence, and gang signs and symbols will also be disqualified. Feel free to contact us at info[AT]stlouisyouthfilmfestival[DOT]org if you have a question or need clarification.
Eligibility
STLYFF is available to all legal residents of St. Louis City and County, Missouri, and Metro East St. Louis, Illinois, aged 13 to 25. Residents must provide proof of their address. All entries must be conceived, produced, and finished by youth with teachers and other mentors acting in advisory roles only. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 11:59 PM CST (postmarked, electronic dating).
Categories
STLYFF is accepting submissions in the following categories:
- NARRATIVE: This refers to a fictional tale, event, or storyline that primarily focuses on narrative elements, featuring characters, conflict, and some form of resolution. It can be entirely imaginative or inspired by real-life events.
- DOCUMENTARY: This is a genre of non-fiction filmmaking that captures reality and clearly presents a truthful account. It typically conveys a strong perspective, showcasing real individuals who illustrate events or share interviews to communicate a specific message to the audience.
- ANIMATED: This type of filmmaking tells a story through animation, using individual drawings, paintings, or illustrations that are photographed frame by frame. Each frame is unique, creating the illusion of movement.
Judging
Entries for STLYFF will be evaluated by a jury panel of St. Louisians who will be using an impartial rubric created specifically for this festival. Our assessment criteria aims to evaluate all films fairly, focusing on aspects such as originality, acting, and direction, in addition to technical elements like sound design, lighting, and editing.
Entry Guidelines
- All submissions should be between 3 and 10 minutes long (not including the title card and credits).
- Each entry must include a title card and credits that specify the roles of those involved in the film (for example, short story, writer, script/screenplay writer, and actors).
- An original storyline or script must be submitted.
- Any music or copyrighted material used in the film must be properly licensed and credited. When submitting, please specify any material used under Creative Commons (Fair Use Doctrine) or from the public domain.
- All submitters will assume sole responsibility for the permission of the likeness of individuals (for example, actors or interviewers) who appear in their film.
- The film must be in English or have English subtitles. Silent films are allowed.
- Entries may have been previously shown or featured in public, at other festivals, etc.
- All participants must submit a signed Filmmaker/Guardian Release, which must be cosigned by a legal guardian if the submitter is less than 18 years old.
Selections will be announced on January 20, 2025.
