REEL SPIRIT COMPETITION
2025 Reel Spirit
Submission Deadline: February 24, 2025 Winning Films Announced: March 18, 2025 Showcase is Saturday April 12, 2025 Truman Forum Auditorium – Plaza Library – 4801 Main St. KCMO
Categories Grades 2-9
Animation
STOP MOTION/COMPUTER GENERATED ANIMATION
Create a sense of movement through stop motion or computer animation
to bring inanimate objects, drawings, or clay to life to tell a story
Maximum length: 3 minutes
commercials
COMMERCIAL & ADVERTISEMENTS
Advertisement for a student-created product or a real event in your school or community (Inspires the audience to buy the product or attend the event)
Maximum length: 2 minutes
documentary
DOCUMENTARIES
A nonfictional film that presents factual information about real people, places, and/or events in a narrative format. Must include an interview with an “expert” (someone knowledgeable on the film’s subject matter)
Maximum length: 5 minutes
narrative (comedy/drama)
DRAMA & COMEDY NARRATIVES
Fictional comedy or drama that tells a story. It must be a series of events with cause and effect relationship, (Narrative can be original work or adapted from public domain material)
Maximum length: 5 minutes
news feature
FACTUAL AND FICTIONAL
NEWS FEATURE
A factual or fictional news feature in newscast format, featuring only ONE topic
(Interviews and footage of subject matter are encouraged)
Maximum length: 3 minutes
public service announcement (psa)
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Public Service Announcement, in an original presentation, must have factual information that supports, educates, or inspires solutions to community or student concerns
Maximum length: 2 minutes
science, technology, engineering, art & math
REEL SPIRIT OF S.T.E.A.M
A nonfictional film that provides an explanation of science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics in an artistic, entertaining and knowledgeable way. The film must be presented in the form of a Narrative, Animation, News Feature or Music Video; or a combination of these.
Films will be judged for both technical and creative content.
Maximum length: 3 minutes
OVERVIEW
Filmmakers of winning films will be invited to the 20th annual Reel Spirit Young Filmmaker Showcase to see their films on the big screen.
Young Filmmakers Showcase for Divisions I, II, and III will be held: Saturday April 12, 2025 at the Truman Auditorium at the Plaza Library.
All films must be submitted through FilmFreeway. We are unable to process films in Youtube and WeVideo unless you upload the film directly from your computer to FilmFreeway.
Sponsor/Mentor must complete the online forms and read the copy right information at the BOTTOM of this page. Those films that don’t follow copyright guidelines will result in point deductions. Contact and Copyright Form BELOW:
awards
Entries are judged by professionals from film and media fields. First, Second, and Third place Certificates are given in the various categories and divisions according to the judges’ decisions. Decisions of the independent judges are final.
One trophy for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place is awarded to the winning film for grades 2-9. Additional trophies may be purchased at the expense of the individual. Filmmakers whose films place first, second, or third will receive a cetificate of excellence and a theater screening of his/her film in front of a live audience.
evaluation criteria & scoring
- Technical ability: audio, camera work, lighting, and editing completely student created
- Expression of creativity
- Ability to communicate message or story line
- Specific criteria related to the different categories
- All music, pictures, and video clips must conform to the Reel Spirit Copyright rules.
- Credits include only the actor/s first name
- Teacher names should not be included in credits
- Film credits should NOT include submitting school name
- Maximum length of film includes titles, sources and credits
- Subject matter must be appropriate – no violence or inappropriate language
- Entries with extraneous materials, such as “bloopers” will not be accepted.
submission fees
Fee: $8 non-refundable fee is required for each film submitted through Film Freeway
agreements
If your film or video selected as a WINNER, you agree to and understand the following:
- FORMAT: You agree to give Reel Spirit Young Filmmakers permission to download a full format of your production.
- SIGNED RELEASE FORM: Sponsor or Mentor of a winning film is responsible for acquiring a signed parental release form for all students age 18 and younger involved in the film and emailing to Reel Spirit.
submission deadline
Due to weather related school closings the deadline for Reel Spirit submissions has been extended to:
Division I, II, III (grades 2-9) entries must be received by
February 24, 2025
Failure to submit by the deadline will result in disqualification of entry.
Submission of a film automatically gives consent to Reel Spirit Young Filmmakers and Kansas City FilmFest International to use film entry and likeness for promotional purpose
Contact
Linda Thee, Team Member
Copyright Statement: The following must be specifically source referenced in credits at the end of all film productions
o All music, sound effects, pictures/photos, quotes and video clips, whether original and/or non-original
o Original third party music, sound effects, pictures/photos, quotes and video clips may be used if permission by the owner/author is documented in writing and sent in with the entry form
o Examples:
1. Incorrect copyright information: WeVideo or We used iMovie (these lack details of what the software is used for)
2. Correct copyright information: WeVideo was used for background photos, all music and editing or iMovie was used for editing, quotes and video clips
· Penalties due to Copyright Infringement:
o A three point penalty for failing to comply with Reel Spirit Copyright requirements will be deducted from the film’s total score and will result in the film not being shown at the Reel Spirit Showcase, or posted on the Facebook page or website.