Make your own movie about social justice with Campus MovieFest

Disclaimer: The launch event is tomorrow (Oct 8) at 12-5pm in the Spit at Guy’s campus. You have to attend this to take part and it’s first come first served!

RENOWNED film festivals at Cannes, Venice and Toronto can be hard to get to if you’re living on a student budget. Luckily for King’s students craving the all-you-can-watch cinematic pleasures of such events, they won’t have to travel too far. 

Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival, is returning to KCL for the second time since 2011 as part of its 14th Annual World Tour. Movie-making launches on October 8, when students receive all the resources they need to film and edit a five minute film in just one, movie-making week—a laptop complete with the Adobe Creative Cloud, an HD camera, training and support.

“[In 2011 we] realized that King’s College London would be a great school to work with because of the talent and passion from the students,” said Liz Kind-Rubin, promotions manager for Campus MovieFest. “We know a lot of students have great ideas and a working knowledge of film, but they might not have the opportunity to produce their own films.”

Students can tell their story through a variety of genres, but they all must follow the same rules, including solely using students from KCL for creative and crew roles. However, filmmakers are free to cast actors from any school and of any age.

“Film and video help shape the world around us, which is why we find it so important for students to be involved,” Kind-Rubin said. “Whether they are submitting a social justice film or one meant purely to entertain they are impacting the world around them with their creativity. We’re glad to play a small hand in helping them do that.”

Although Campus MovieFest traditionally attracts film students and those with a working knowledge of camera usage, the competitions is open to all students, even those who have never picked up a camera before.

“No matter what your field of study or interests may be, you have a story to tell,” said Kind-Rubin.

Campus MovieFest will be awarding a variety of classic festival prizes with its Golden Tripod Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

“We’re always blown away with what filmmakers submit and the talent they display…you have to be pretty innovative to make a five-minute movie in one week on top of school and work,” said Kind-Rubin.

A panel of judges will determine which films to present at the CMF London Grand Finale at the end of November in London’s West End. Filmmakers have the chance to win £15,000 in prizes, plus a chance to screen at the Cannes International Film Festival and in-flight on Virgin America airlines.