Film Florida opened public voting Monday for its inaugural Student Film Competition, giving viewers an early look at Film Florida TV, a statewide streaming platform set to launch this summer.
Thirty student crews from high schools and colleges across Florida spent 10 days producing original short films. Organizers required each team to incorporate a designated prop, a randomized prompt, and a single assigned line of dialogue.
Viewers can register to watch and score the entries on the platform's beta portal through April 10. Film Florida TV will stream the full collection during a virtual festival on April 28 before opening freely to the public later this year.
The competition gives young directors across South Florida a digital venue to show their work. Local film commissions in Miami-Dade and Broward counties frequently struggle to retain young crew members and directors after graduation because state lawmakers refuse to fund state-level production tax credits.
The challenge includes 11 award categories split between high school and college entrants. Panel judges will choose winners for best director, editing, screenplay, and cinematography, while the Audience Choice Award depends on online votes.
"We’re thrilled to have 30 talented teams participate in the first year of the Film Florida Student Film Competition, we’re excited to showcase their films and celebrate their outstanding work," John Lux, executive director of Film Florida, said in a statement.
