Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and NYC Public Schools Present 6th Annual NYC Public School Film Festival

200+ NYC Students Attend Screening, Panel and Career Expo at Museum of the City of NY; photos available here

Student Films Available for Viewing at nyc.gov/nycpsfilmfestival

 

New York – May 16, 2024 – The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and New York City Public Schools kicked off the 6th Annual New York City Public School Film Festival, which celebrates the talent and diversity of student voices, at a student screening earlier this week. The event, featuring a Media & Entertainment Industry Career Expo, was held at the Museum of the City of New York, and was attended by over 200 public school students, educators, MOME Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman, NYC Public Schools Executive Director of the Office of Arts and Special Projects Hannah Berson and industry professionals who offered advice to students during a panel.

Nearly 130 films were submitted for the festival this year from NYC middle and high school students spanning 39 schools throughout the five boroughs. A total of 30 short films were selected for inclusion in the festival and are now available for viewing online at nyc.gov/nycpsfilmfestival.

“We are so pleased to once again be partnering with New York City Public Schools to bring the NYC Public School Film Festival to life, and to give students an introduction to our city’s world-famous film and television industry,” said Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman. “Thank you to our industry panelists and expo partners for committing their time to these students, who we believe are the city's next generation of filmmakers!”

“The annual NYCPS Film Festival gives our young filmmakers the chance to celebrate their creations in front of our city, empowering them to pursue careers in filmmaking, learn to harness the power of art to affect change, and facilitate a critical emotional and creative outlet as they move throughout their lives,” said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “I’m so proud of all the students being recognized today and can’t wait to see all they achieve, and grateful to our partners across the city who make this festival possible for our kids.”

The students submitted short films, each 1 to 5 minutes in length, in 5 categories: Animation, Experimental, Short Feature, PSA/Advocacy and Documentary. A full list of the selected films are available at nyc.gov/nycpsfilmfestival. Topics surrounding mental health, the immigrant experience, bullying, technology and AI, and genres such as horror and music are all explored by the student filmmakers. Highlights include:

BRONX:

• Beautiful Vulnerability - A documentary/music video that addresses social disconnection and bullying, and suggests a solution; The Theatre Arts Production Company School
• Hide and Seek - When a violent criminal finds his way into a school building, a group of students in detention band together to take him down; H.E.R.O. High School
• Man to Man - A star college basketball player collides with his famed coach when the coach's true colors are revealed; Bronx Leadership Academy High School

BROOKLYN:

• Glitch - A mockumentary-style short film where students and staff grapple with escalating technology glitches and eerie paranormal activity; East Brooklyn Community High School
• Lone - A high school student finds unique revenge against the bullies in his school; Uncommon Preparatory Charter High School
• Static Starvation - Stuck in a constant cycle of starvation, a girl’s anorexia nervosa begins to become more than just an eating disorder, leaving her helpless to its will; Midwood High School

MANHATTAN:

• Bingley - An overzealous young student lets her need for high grades get in the way of her friendship; The High School of Art and Design
• Dopelgänger - In a neon lit alleyway, a skilled fighter dukes it out with what seems to be a clone of himself in the dead of night; Gramercy Arts High School
• Stranger Strings - A young girl gets a birthday gift that proves to be anything other than celebratory; P.S./I.S. 187 Hudson Cliffs (Note - this is the third year, second year in a row filmmaker Rosie Perez has had a film selected in the NYC Public School Film Festival)

QUEENS:

• Nobody - A kid with a knack for exploration decides to break off from the group while touring a school when weird things start to happen; Academy for Careers in Television and Film
• Rem.Mp4 - An exploration of where we go when we dream; Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School

STATEN ISLAND:

• Husky Table- Cucumber and Tomato Salad - Farm-to-table ingredients are brought to life in a refreshing cucumber and tomato salad; P37R The David Marquis School of the Arts
• StudentFilm.mov - This documentary recaps the experiences of three student filmmakers during the creative process of their own short films/documentaries; Staten Island Technical High School

Again, this year, Adobe is the proud Creativity Partner of the Film Festival, giving all NYC public school students and teachers free access to Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Express, through New York Public School credentials. Adobe is committed to enabling creativity for all and inspiring students to bring their visions to life with its filmmaking tools.

The New York City Public School Film Festival included a Career Expo to provide a snapshot of opportunities in NYC’s film/tv industry. Participants included Adobe, DCTV, Hunter College, LaGuardia Community College, Manhattan Youth, Museum of the Moving Image, School of Visual Arts, Reel Works, and The Animation Project.

The New York City Public School Film Festival was created to provide students an opportunity to have their work recognized and to encourage careers in filmmaking. The films were chosen by a panel of NYC Public School Film Festival teachers and media professionals.