2019 Student Showcase of Films Open for Submissions

Palm Beach County, FL (October 18, 2018) – The annual Student Showcase of Films is fired up with a hot new look and more prize money to kick off its 24th season! The Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films (SSOF), formerly the Palm Beach International Film Festival’s Student Showcase of Films, is now open to student filmmakers primed for the spotlight in the largest student film competition and awards show in Florida!

The SSOF is free to enter for all filmmakers, writers, graphic designers and digital media artists enrolled in Florida high schools and colleges. The SSOF celebrates students in the arts and will be awarding over $15,000 in cash, scholarships and prizes in the following categories: High School & College Feature/Shorts, the Suzanne L. Niedland Documentary Scholarship, the Vanilla Ice Music Video Award, Animation, Commercial/PSA, Environmental PSA, Mental Health Awareness PSA, Screenwriting and Poster Design. Honoring the late acting and directing legend, Burt Reynolds, the SSOF will continue to endow a scholarship bearing his name, memorializing his legacy as a staunch advocate for education.

“You got to put fuel in it to have lift off and that’s what the SSOF is,” says longtime supporter and award presenter, Vanilla Ice. “It’s a stepping stone for students to get recognized and understand the industry.”

Student success is fueled by more than 40 industry professionals from around the globe who serve as judges, including Emmy-winning TV writer/show-runner Chic Eglee, American Idol Musical Director Michael Orland, ESPN filmmaker Billy Corben, Miami casting giant Ellen Jacoby, TV wildlife enthusiast (from South Africa) James Currie, Palm Beach Post Pop Culture columnist Leslie Grey Streeter and many more!

These experts evaluate hundreds of student submissions to select the top three finalists in each category. Winners will be announced during the revved-up, red-carpet awards show on April 5, 2019, at the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center at Lynn University. Every year, the SSOF event attracts more than 750 students and their families, along with celebrity presenters, industry pros, media, state and county dignitaries, performers and more. Previous award presenters have included Burt Reynolds, Vanilla Ice, Cheri Oteri, Backstreet Boy Howie D. Dorough, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Bruce Campbell, Clint Howard, Linda Blair and other shining stars that lit up the red carpet at the prestigious Wold Performing Arts Center in Boca Raton, Florida.

To enter visit www.pbfilm.com/ssof. Deadline for submissions is January 25, 2019. The SSOF is funded by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners through the Department of Housing & Economic Sustainability. Major sponsors include Lynn University and the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission. Category sponsors include Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, Inc. (Environmental PSA Award), Film Florida (Sara Fuller Scholarship), Michael Chasin (Nellie & Fred Chasin Screenwriting Award) and the Information Television Network (“Know Difference” Mental Health Awareness PSA Award).