The BlackStar Youth Program exists to showcase diverse and cutting edge work of black, brown and indigenous youth (ages 22 and under) from around the world! Films should not exceed 20 minutes. While we accept work from youth media programs, we also encourage young independent filmmakers to submit.
2019 Youth Film Submission Form can be found here.
Have any questions? Email youth@blackstarfest.org.
Youth entrants must fully comply with these entry rules and regulations, including all deadlines, film length, entry material and other requirements.
Submissions may be a work-in-progress; however, works that are not final cuts must be clearly marked “Work in Progress (WIP)” or “Rough Cut” with an indication of what will change or what is missing (e.g., temp sound, missing animation, etc.). The deadline to receive the final print is June 15, 2019.
There is no official timeline for film completion, however priority is given to recently produced films (as of March 2018).
There is no limit to the number of films you can submit. Please fill out separate entry forms for each film.
Preference is given to Philadelphia premieres at minimum, but premiere status is not required.
Due to the high volume of submissions, we are unable to speak individually to applicants.
Filmmakers should be prepared to cover their own hotel and airfare accommodations.
For each youth film accepted into the festival, two (2) all-access badges may be distributed (pending approval from festival administration).