
Students Have Until June 27 to Submit Work, Finalists Will Be Screened Oct. 26 In Hollywood
LOS ANGELES and WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - June 13, 2016 - The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE ), a leader in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries; and the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA ), the organization serving the professional community by providing expertise, support, tools, and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, and an array of content for a growing number of platforms; today announced the jurors for the second annual SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 26, following the Oktoberfest Reception at the SMPTE 2016 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SMPTE 2016) in Hollywood, California. The deadline for entries is June 27.
The SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their technical creativity while gaining visibility among industry leaders, said Barbara Lange, executive director of SMPTE and HPA. Highlighting the work of both SMPTEs and HPAs youngest members, this event offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of motion imaging.
Film festival jurors are a diverse group of accomplished motion-imaging professionals from around the world. They include Elisa Bonora, an editor and producer originally from Milan, Italy, who has worked on multiple Emmy -nominated documentaries; David S. Cohen, senior features editor at Variety; Ben Gervais, a productions systems supervisor who is currently the technical lead for production and postproduction for Ang Lees upcoming feature, Billy Lynns Long Halftime Walk; Dorian Harris, a film and television editor since the 1980s who recently edited the premiere television episode of 11.22.63; Bryan Hillestad who has been working professionally as a character animator and an animation supervisor for two decades on a diverse range of projects, including the recent 2016 blockbuster Deadpool; Katie Hinsen, a native of New Zealand, who works as a senior finishing artist at Light Iron New York and founded the Blue Collar Post Collective (BCPC); and Niven Howie, who is well-established as an editor for high-end commercials, pop videos, and feature films, and is best known for his work on music videos such as Stings Ten Summoners Tales and XTCs Dear God as well as iconic films Dawn of the Dead (2004) and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (2005).
The jury also will include Nancy Jundi, a data scientist for the entertainment, technology, and SaaS industries; Patricia Keighley, senior vice president of IMAX Corporation and cofounder and managing director of IMAX POST/DKP Inc.; Mark Kenna, the CEO of U.K.-based Bad Blood Films and a film sound consultant; Dean Lyon, a producer, director, and visual effects (VFX) supervisor with VFX credits such as the Lord of Rings trilogy and Without a Paddle; Stewart Schill, an ACE Award-nominated writer, director, and editor who has most recently edited television programs such as The People vs. OJ Simpson, American Horror Story, and Dexter; Ted Schilowitz, founding member, first employee, and product development team member at RED Digital Cinema and now futurist at 20th Century Fox and cinemavangelist at Barco; Matisse Tolin, who is the virtual reality (VR) producer and screenwriter who founded Lithic VR; and Joachim Zell, the vice president of imaging science and technical director at EFILM, where he began the EC3 onset and near-set dailies division.
The complete list of jurors is available at www.smpte.org/jurors
The SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival features the following award categories. Students must select one category for each entry:
Best Creative Use of Technology to Engage the Audience in the Story - Narrative Format
o Running time of up to five minutes
o Running time of 30 seconds or less
Best Portrayal of Entertainment Technology in the Film - Documentary Format
o Running time of up to five minutes
o Running time of 30 seconds or less
Best Creative Use of Virtual Reality (VR) in Storytelling
o Running time of up to three minutes
Best Use of Mobile Device or Tablet to Convey a Story - Narrative Format
o Running time of up to five minutes
An additional award for Audience Choice will be voted on by the festival attendees and awarded on the evening of the festival.
We honor the creativity and adept use of technology that these students are using to tell stories. Being a stakeholder in the Festival is reflective of our commitment to helping the next generation rise to careers in our industry. Its also inspiring, said Seth Hallen, president of the HPA. As the industry moves toward increasingly sophisticated tools and processes, this interplay with storytelling is incredibly important. It is a great opportunity for the students to explore the process and have the opportunity to show their work to other young filmmakers, industry executives, and leading technologists. The HPA is pleased to participate in the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival and shine a spotlight on the creative leaders of tomorrow.
The SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival is open to full-time students currently enrolled in an accredited college, university, film school, or high school/secondary school. This is an international festival, and entries from all parts of the world are encouraged. As the festival focuses on technology, students should ideally major in an area that emphasizes engineering, science, advanced technologies, or fundamental theories associated with motion-imaging, sound, metadata, and workflows consistent with SMPTEs field of interest. Eligible students are required to have completed four courses toward their major course of study and be in good academic standing. Supporting d
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...