2012 DLFF Call for Entries
Call for Entries is now open for the 2012 Desert Light Film Competition
The Desert Light Film organizers are searching for New Mexico high school and middle school students to participate in the 2012 Desert Light Film Competition on Friday, April 13, 2012. Presented by New Mexico State University Alamogordo and the Otero County Film Office, and sponsored by JC Penney, this competition will give you an opportunity to showcase your work, compete for prizes, and participate in seminars designed for young filmmakers.
Desert Light is open to all New Mexico high school and middle school students, including students who attend public, private or charter schools, or who are home schooled. This festival is designed for any student who has an interest in film making.
This year the festival celebrates New Mexico’s Centennial. Two categories have a new Centennial twist. The 30 second commercial is described this year as the New Mexico Centennial 30-second commercial. The documentary category is promoting Centennial topics and we hope you will dig into the history of our state, and of your area, and teach us something new.
Don’t forget the challenging, non-traditional area of Experimental Film. We hope many students will make a creative attempt. Other categories include narrative or drama/comedy, animation and music video The criteria for all categories include production quality, creativity and originality, resourcefulness and entertainment value.
Sponsored by JC Penney through the JCPenney Foundation, Desert Light offers prizes in every category. First Place awards are $100 each. Honorable Mention awards are $50 each. Local JC Penneys store manager Alan Mendoza will be on hand to personally present the awards for the winning films. Seminars this year will include Final Cut Pro, special effects makeup for film, and production techniques. Other seminars will be announced.
Please submit your films on DVD, standard format, MPEG2, in 4×3 or 16×9 format. If your school submits multiple films on a single DVD, please give 10-15 seconds black screen between submissions. If you have something that won’t work with the criteria above, please email us and tell us what format you do have. We will try to work with you.
A special Film Briefing with Ranger Kathy Denton has been arranged at the White Sands National Monument following the Awards Ceremony. Whenever professionals come to film at the Monument, they have certain procedures to follow before they arrive, and while they are filming. This interactive briefing will teach you much about the protocol of filming in national parks and working with other agencies. Students will arrive at the White Sands before sunset, and then be able to film some fabulous footage. This is a very special opportunity to spend several hours at one of the sites kept especially for filming. This event is open just to students and teachers attending the Desert Light Film Festival.
Organizers of the 2012 Desert Light Film Competition include K. Jan Wafful, Otero County Film Liaison; Alan Mendoza, store manager for JC Penney; Bryan Yancey, ProTech division head at NMSU Alamogordo; Ranger Kathy Denton, Education and Interpretation specialist at White Sands National Monument; Evi Garcia, Otero County Economic Development Council executive assistant; Christa Haynes, New York Life Insurance, Joan Griggs, festival director from NMSU Alamogordo; and Dr. Bruce Martin and Donna Cook, NMSU Alamogordo.
Submit films anytime from now until Friday, March 9, 2012. Entries should be mailed to the Otero County Film Office, 1301 N. White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo, NM 88310. Each entry requires a $5 entry fee. The entry form includes a “Use of Submissions” form to be signed by students over 18. Parents or teachers will sign for students under 18. All forms, including the form explaining the Entry Rules, information about Judging and Awards, and Description of Categories will soon be available on the Film Otero website www.filmotero.com. They have also been attached for your convenience. For more information, contact K. Jan Wafful, Otero County Film Liaison at jan@filmotero.com or Joan Griggs at jgriggs@nmsua.nmsu.edu.
