UIL FILM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Participants

Students producing the film must be currently enrolled and attending a UIL member high school. The entire production team must be enrolled full-time at the participating school during the 2023-24 school year.

Only student contestants producing the film (the CREATIVE TEAM) must be listed on the official entry form.

• The Creative Team shall consist of at least the Screenwriter(s), Director(s), Editor(s), and/or Animators, Photographers...There is no minimum or a maximum number of contestants.

• Performers are not considered contestants if that is their only role in the project.

• Adult involvement in the project is limited to sponsors and onscreen talent.

• There is no amateur rule for this contest.

• Sponsors in the UIL State Student Film Festival shall be full-time employees of the school districts they represent. Their actual involvement in producing the film shall be in an advisory capacity only.

  Contact UIL Director of Eligibility and Education if you have questions regarding student eligibility.

CONFERENCES/DIVISIONS (NEW)
Schools will enter in one of the following Conferences.

● Conference 3A-Combined Conferences1A-3A schools only. 

● Conference 4A-Conference 4A

● Conference 5A-Conference 5A

● Conference 6A-Conference 6A

Time Limits and Entries-Description of UIL Film Categories
• Each school may submit three (3) films in each category. The categories are:
1) narrative,
2) documentary,
3) computer/ digital animation and
4) traditional animation (claymation, hand drawn, stop motion)
• Narrative and documentary films shall be 3- 7 minutes in length. Animation entries shall be 30 seconds to 3 minutes in length. This includes any credits.

FILMS THAT EXCEED THE TIME LIMIT WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR ADVANCEMENT. 

Eligible Material
• Submitted films must be original works and are required to have clearances for music or other copyrighted material featured in the project. A log of any music used shall be kept on file at the school. See sample music log on UIL website.
• The administration of the producing school shall assure that the production does not offend the moral standards of the community. A signed “Community Standards and Copyright Compliance Form” signed to certify that the entries have been carefully examined and approved for presentation is included in the entry form.
• Only those films produced during the current school year will be considered for submission into the contest. Films produced during the Spring or Summer months are also eligible for the Festival held the following Spring (e.g. A film produced in the Spring or Summer of 2023 would be eligible for submission in the Spring 2024 Festival as long as all the production team is still enrolled in that high school.)
 

Entry Procedures
• Submission Deadline - January 20, 2024.
• The State Finals dates will be announced when finalized.

Evaluation
Films submitted to the Festival shall be previewed, critiqued, and ranked by our adjudicators. Originality, cinematic storytelling, and technical execution are the basis of the scoring. Entries will go through a preliminary round. Those qualifying will go through a second qualifying round. Those qualifying from the second round will go through a State Semi-final round. Those entries advancing to state in each category will be screened, in whole or in digest form, and ranked first through sixth at the State Festival. Schools shall receive a written evaluation of the film at each level.