Youth Works Screening and Q&A with Directors Madison Empalmado and Kai Tomizawa

Kai Tomizawa’s No Fan of Andy is a lighthearted comedy about a pet-related mishap and a devoted but misguided friend that has to carry out an absurd plan for redemption, and Madison Empalmado’s Chasing Normality is an emotional documentary that intends to start a deeper conversation about mental health by telling the stories of high school students as they struggle with various disorders. Both short films were official selections of the 2020 SFFILM Festival Youth Works Program, and we are happy to have a platform to celebrate the work of these young women directors!

Join us following the short film screenings for an insightful and educational Q&A with directors Madison Empalmado and Kai Tomizawa, to learn about the making of their films and to hear how other young filmmakers can bring their ideas to the big screen. Recommended for ages 11 and up.

As part of this celebration of exceptional youth-produced work, SFFILM Education is hosting an exciting contest for aspiring young filmmakers, open to all current middle and high school students. To enter, students must submit a short film pitch to our team at education@sffilm.org by June 5 at 11:59 pm. In an effort to encourage creativity and celebrate different kinds of storytelling, we are leaving the style of the pitches up to students’ discretion — they can submit a short film treatment, a general written overview of their idea, or a combination of drawings and descriptions in the form of storyboards. Submissions should be kept to two pages in length or under. The top 5–10 submissions will be reviewed by a panel of filmmaker judges, including Nicole Perlman, screenwriter of Guardians of the Galaxy, Detective Pikachu, and Captain Marvel. The top three pitches will receive the prizes listed below.

FIRST PRIZE
– $500 cash prize! (provided by Nellie Wong Magic of Movies Education Fund)
– Young Filmmakers Camp Scholarship
– SFFILM Family Membership
– 30-minute call with a member of the SFFILM Artist Development team to discuss your short film pitch and get feedback from industry professionals

SECOND & THIRD PRIZE
– Young Filmmakers Camp Scholarship
– SFFILM Family Membership
– 30-minute call with a member of the SFFILM Artist Development team to discuss your short film pitch and get feedback from industry professionals

This special online event, hosted by SFFILM Education, has been put together with children, parents, and teachers in mind. It is also free and open to the public. Attendees who RSVP for this event will be sent a link via email one day in advance to register for the online session, which will be conducted with Zoom. We recommend that you download and install Zoom on your computer or mobile device in advance, and set yourself up with a free account. Attendees will have a chance to participate in the Q&A by sending in questions privately to our moderator. Registration closes around one hour before the start of the event — be sure to register early!

We look forward to continuing to experiment with virtual events like this in the coming weeks — let us know how it goes and how we can improve the experience.

Learn more about how to use Zoom and attending our virtual events here.