• Open to all 5th–12th grade students, participating through their school or a qualifying community organization.
• Teacher Producer required. Each entry must be registered by a Teacher Producer—an adult who manages communication and supports the student team. This is usually a teacher, but can also be a librarian, nonprofit staff member, or other affiliated adult.
• NEW Submission limits. Each school or organization may submit up to four (4) Project Proposals for feedback. Each school or organization may submit up to four (4) Final Films that have approved project proposals to the Festival.
• Organization Agreement. Schools and organizations must sign and return an Organization Agreement, confirming that Parental Consent forms (including a liability waiver and photo/video permission) were distributed to guardians. Teachers should retain signed consent forms through the end of the school year.
• Cross-school collaboration. Students may collaborate across schools or organizations, but one official school or organization must be designated per project for awards and equipment grants.
• Student-led & student-created. Adults may teach, coach, and supervise, but may NOT write, film, edit, or perform without active student collaboration.

Each project declares one option from each category below. Genre and technique selections may be updated any time before the Final Cut and Press Kit deadline.

Division

• Middle School (grades 5–8)
• High School (grades 9–12)

Technique

• Live-Action – 3 to 8 minutes – Narrative or documentary using real-world footage and actors.
• Animation – 1 to 5 minutes – Stop-motion, 2D/3D, or CGI. Animation must make up at least 50% of the film and be student-created. Stock assets and third-party renders are not allowed without prior documented permission from FPJR. Visual effects (VFX) alone do not count as animation.

Genre (Choose One)

• Comedy – Fiction using humor, satire, or exaggeration to entertain. 
• Drama – Fiction focused on emotional or character-driven conflict. 
• Sci-Fi/Fantasy – Fiction rooted in science, myth, or imagined worlds. 
• Thriller – Fiction built on suspense, tension, or mystery. 
• Documentary – Nonfiction storytelling based on facts, interviews, and research.

Some films blend genres (e.g., thriller/comedy). In those cases, choose the single category you want the film entered under. FPJR reserves the right to reassign categories when appropriate.

To be eligible for screening and awards, every film must meet these content and safety standards.Films that do not meet these expectations may not be accepted for the festival.

General Standards

• Submissions must be appropriate for a school-based, all-ages audience.
• No profanity, hate speech, explicit material, illegal or unsafe stunts, or realistic depictions of violence or harm.
• Film topics centered on kidnapping, stalking, or any violent or gruesome on-screen deaths are not permitted.
• Sensitive topics (e.g., mental health, addiction) may be explored with care, clarity of purpose, and a respectful and informational resolution. Scripts addressing sensitive topics may be reviewed by a qualified mental health professional to ensure responsible treatment.
• Minor injury (e.g., bruises or bandages) may be allowed if shown without on-screen violence, and must be approved during Project Proposal review.
• Weapon-like props may be used only if they pose no real danger and are clearly fake; usage must be submitted and approved during Project Proposal review and documented through production.

Violence & Weapons

• No realistic violence, gore, or threatening weapons in any film.
• Stylized, fantasy, or non-threatening props may be approved depending on context and presentation.
• Prohibited real objects. Real weapons or dangerous tools (e.g., kitchen knives, machetes, axes, pitchforks) are not permitted. Only props that clearly pose no threat will be considered. Using a real kitchen knife, or featuring a working lighter or torch without prior authorization, are examples of violations that may cause disqualification even if the film is otherwise compliant.

Prohibited Acts

• No illegal activity, unsafe stunts, or dangerous effects—such as high-speed driving, simulated drowning, jumping from or balancing at dangerous heights, or physical altercations—unless staged safely under professional guidance and approved in advance.
• Vehicles & street filming. No filming on active streets or with moving vehicles unless in a fully controlled environment. No scenes of texting while driving.
• Extreme sports & events. Activities with inherent risk (e.g., organized or extreme sports) must be filmed under trained supervision, with location details provided in the Project Proposal.

• All music, images, titles, footage, and media must be original or properly licensed.
• Students may not use AI to generate screenplays, story content, video, or performances, or to replace student-driven creative work. All third-party media must be properly licensed or in the public domain.
• Proof of permission must be uploaded for any licensed music, images, or footage.

Every student film must be approved before filming. This ensures the project aligns with FPJR rules and that safety and appropriateness are maintained. Schools and organizations may submit up to four (4) project proposals for review.

Project Proposal Format Types

• Narrative Screenplay. Includes all dialogue and significant on-screen action. With proper formatting, one page ≈ one minute of film. Maximum 10 pages.
• Documentary Outline. An outline plus a summary paragraph of the documentary’s purpose, planned locations, proposed interview subjects, and sources of information.
• Animation Storyboard. A storyboard submitted along with an outline or screenplay. It is recommended to include which software is planned to be used during production.

Props, Fire & Hazards

• Any prop that resembles a weapon, uses fire, or could pose a safety hazard must be declared in the proposal and approved in writing before production begins.
• Photo documentation. For any weapon-like prop, upload a photo and description to the portal for review.
• Supervision. A responsible adult or mentor must guide students during any potentially hazardous scene. Scenes involving vehicles, physical activity, or public spaces should be carefully planned and chaperoned; documentation may be requested.

Project Proposal Review and Feedback

Film Prize Junior scripts are reviewed to ensure projects are student-created, age-appropriate, safe, and realistically achievable for student filmmakers.

Reviewers consider:

• Story & Creativity – Is the story clear, engaging, and appropriate for student audiences?
• Characters & Dialogue – Do the characters and dialogue support the story effectively?
• Production Feasibility – Can students realistically and safely produce this film?
• Formatting & Clarity – Does the script clearly communicate the production plan?
• Content & Safety Compliance – Does the screenplay follow Film Prize Junior content and safety guidelines?

Proposals receive one of four decisions:

• Approved — Move forward into production.
• Approved with Revisions — Begin production, incorporating the reviewers’ feedback into your concept as you go.
• Returned for Revision — Revise the concept per the feedback and resubmit, with all changes highlighted.
• Not Approved — This concept can’t move forward; develop a new one.

Feedback is provided in the portal and emailed to the Teacher Producer. Revisions may be resubmitted until approval is granted or the deadline passes.

A Press Kit must accompany your Final Film to be eligible for screening:

• Logline — 50 words or fewer.
• Full credits — including student crew and Teacher Producer.
• Filmmaker interview questions.
• Movie poster — 11×17 in, vertical (portrait), 5MB or less, JPG or PNG. 
• Behind-the-scenes photos — 3 total, 5MB each or less, JPG or PNG.

• Live-Action: 3–8 minutes (not including end credits).
• Animated: 1–5 minutes (not including end credits).
• Title & school name must appear on screen within the first 60 seconds.
• Opening credits are optional and count toward total runtime.
• End credits are required and must be 30 seconds or less.
• Bloopers may appear only during closing credits, while credits are still scrolling.

Audio Standards & Subtitles

• Triple-check audio levels; audio must not be limited to one channel (left or right only).
• Non-English dialogue requires English subtitles embedded in the video file.
• Subtitles must sit within the title-safe area so they remain visible during screenings. For a detailed explanation of “Title Safe” please click here.

 Name every uploaded file in this format:

DIVISION_SchoolName_FilmTitle.mp4

Examples:

MIDDLE_RiverdaleMiddle_TheBridge.mp4

HIGH_NorthEdisonHigh_MemoryLane.mov

All approved Final Films are eligible for award consideration unless otherwise specified.

• Awards. Film Prize Junior recognizes and celebrates student achievement, but does not award money directly to students. Monetary awards, grants, and reimbursements are awarded to schools, organizations, or Teacher Producers, as applicable.
• Community-organization projects. A beneficiary school must be designated during registration. Any awards, grants, equipment, reimbursements, recognition, or other benefits intended for a school will be awarded to the designated beneficiary school.
• Student Celebration Award and Founders Circle Grant. These awards and grants are intended for the school or organization of the awarded film to use. 
• Multiple schools or organizations. Film Prize Junior will determine award eligibility and distribution based on the designated school or organization listed during registration. Awards may not be split between schools or organizations.

Film Prize Junior reserves the right to determine final award eligibility, recipients, and distribution of awards.

A film may be disqualified if it:

• Is submitted without Project Proposal approval.
• Includes undeclared or unsafe props.
• Includes copyrighted content without permission.
• Includes prohibited content (e.g., profanity, realistic violence, hate speech).
• Includes AI-generated screenplays or other major creative elements, including but not limited to video, music, performances, narration, or visual assets.
• Is submitted by someone other than the Teacher Producer.
• Misses any deadline listed in the official timeline.

Film Prize Junior reserves the right to disqualify approved projects if the final film is deemed inappropriate for the festival.