Attention, high school and college-aged Latinx filmmakers: the inaugural ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest wants to see your work. The online festival, which will celebrate and amplify young Latinx voices in film from September 18-October 16, is now accepting short film submissions, a press release announced.
Films (30 minutes or less) that feature a Latinx in a lead creative position either on or offscreen are eligible. Projects can be narrative or nonfiction works in English or Spanish. “There is only one theme: Past meets Present and Moves Forward,” according to the fest’s FilmFreeway page. “Applicants must classify their film under one of the following categories: Technology, Arts & Culture, Environment, Education, and Social Empowerment.”
Featured filmmakers will have the chance to win the Grand Prize ($5,000), the Student Prize ($2,000), or the opportunity to attend a Master class.
¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest will also include workshops, panels, networking events, and viewing parties.
“We’re excited to be back and look forward to welcoming submissions for our rescheduled 2021 inaugural edition,” said festival director Luis Alejandro Molina. “This festival’s theme speaks to what brought us to this moment in time and invites us to imagine a future where we are all seen, heard, and most importantly, counted.” He continued, “Beyond promoting diversity and inclusion, the festival and its series of “Conversations Among X” virtual panels are designed to invite discussion and reflection among the larger Latinx content-creating community about the issues that affect us today. Whether you are an amateur filmmaker in college or a high school student who aspires to make movies one day, we want to hear your story.”
¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest’s regular submission deadline is August 16, and the late deadline is August 30. Notifications will go out by September 6. Head to FilmFreeway to submit or find out more.