SHREVEPORT, LA – With major support from Louisiana Economic Development, Film Prize Junior 2025 saw a record-breaking of 115 films submitted from 63 schools and programs across the state of Louisiana. The nationally unique program is free and open to high school and middle school students across the state of Louisiana. The idea of the program is to teach students the art, science and business of filmmaking. As a result, Film Prize Junior has become a leader in experiential learning and workforce development for young people.

All completed films will play at Film Prize Junior Fest May 2nd and May 3rd with an awards ceremony on May 4th. The festival will be part of Shreveport Regional Art Council’s Artbreak! festival at the Shreveport Convention Center. Alongside the festival, Film Prize Junior will be providing free panels, a workforce development-focused tradeshow and a poster competition. The festival is free to the public.

“Film Prize Junior provides an incredible opportunity for young people to gain confidence, learn important life skills and get on a path to success,” said Gregory Kallenberg, Executive Director of Prize Foundation and Co-Founder of Film Prize Junior. “I’m super proud of our student filmmakers, our Teacher Producers who helped these young filmmakers make their films and the team who worked so hard to support the effort.”

Throughout the year, Film Prize Junior provides free mentorship and interactive workshops online and around the state. Students are engaged in the collaborative, multidisciplinary art form of filmmaking and creative entrepreneurship and guided through the entire filmmaking process from scriptwriting to production to marketing of the film during the festival to attract the audience’s votes for best film. Each student filmmaking team must have a Teacher Producer guiding the process. Teachers are supported through a Learning Management System (LMS) that provides free curricula and resources. Teachers also have access to in person trainings and webinars.

Student filmmakers and their teachers, families and friends will be able to view the films during in-person screenings at the festival then vote for their favorite films. Online press kits written by the filmmakers will be available for each film during the virtual festival May 8th through May 15th at www.FilmPrizeJr.com 

To learn more about Film Prize Junior, visit FilmPrizeJr.com.