SFFILM Education presents the seventeenth annual Schools at the Festival Student Essay Contest at the 69th San Francisco International Film Festival. This contest is made possible by the generous support of the Nellie Wong Magic of Movies Education Fund, supported by Tim Kochis and SFFILM board member Penelope Wong to honor the memory of her mother, Nellie Wong (1917–2007), who was an avid filmgoer and cinephile. Developed to support the year-round outreach efforts of SFFILM Education, the Fund aims to cultivate students’ imaginations, enhance their critical thinking and creative writing skills and instill a greater appreciation for the magic of movies in young audiences of the Bay Area.
SFFILM Education is pleased to have teachers and their students join us for this year’s Schools at the Festival program. We like to encourage freedom in student essay responses across K-12 classrooms. Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Nellie Wong Magic of Movies Essay Contest! Read the winning essays below.
2026 Prize Winners
Elementary School, Grades 1-5
Grand Prize: Sonia Tappan, Jefferson Elementary
1st Runner-Up: Sasha Vantuyl, Alvarado Elementary
2nd Runner-Up: Maya Spooner, Sterne School
3rd Runner-Up: Benjamin Chinn, Hickman Charter School
Middle School, Grades 6-8
Grand Prize: Brooke Shackelford, Bentley School
1st Runner-Up: Lenon Toy, A.P. Giannini Middle School
2nd Runner-Up: Emma Winters, Bentley School
3rd Runner-Up: Andy Jian, Alice Fong Yu Alternative School
High School, Grades 9-12
Grand Prize: Zikang Wang, Abraham Lincoln High School
1st Runner-Up: Holland Young, Sequoia High School
2nd Runner-Up: Liam Knudsen, Berkeley High School
3rd Runner-Up: Angela Sun, Saratoga High School
For questions, contact Keith Zwölfer at 415-561-5040 or kzwolfer@sffilm.org.