Film Florida has announced a new statewide competition for student filmmakers, inviting high school and college students to participate in the Film Florida TV Student Film Competition. The event will offer 11 awards, with winning films to be featured on a dedicated channel of the organization’s new streaming service, Film Florida TV.
“We launched Film Florida TV to showcase the incredible work of our members,” said Sandy Lighterman, President of Film Florida. “We are excited to give more opportunities and avenues to student content creators to showcase their creative work.”
The competition will run from March 6th to March 16th, during which participants must create five-minute short films. Each team will receive a prompt inspired by Florida, along with a required line of dialogue and prop. All projects must be shot entirely within the state and completed within the designated ten-day window.
Eligibility is limited to students currently enrolled in a Florida-based high school or college. Notices of participation are due by February 20, 2026, and all final submissions must be uploaded by March 16, 2026 through https://filmfreeway.com/FilmFloridaTVShowcase.
Awards will recognize creativity and technical skill in categories such as Best High School Student Film, Best College Student Film, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. An Audience Choice Award will also be presented based on viewer votes on Film Florida TV.
According to organizers, the challenge aims to encourage collaboration while highlighting stories that reflect the people and places of Florida. Students can contact Tyler Martinolich at tmartinolich@visittampabay.com for more information about the competition.
Film Florida describes itself as a non-profit marketing and professional development group representing various sectors of the state’s screen production industry.
