Your Kids Could Be Filmmakers

Have you ever thought screen time could be good for your kids? What if there was a way to encourage creativity, imagination, technical skills and more while your kids used their devices? The AIFF Kids Youth Film Competition promotes all of these by providing a unique opportunity for Atlantic Canadian youth to showcase their video- and film-making talents.

Could there be a more natural application of story-telling plus technological know-how for the youth of today than to have them create their own movie?

Not only that, but to then have an established and respected free regional youth film competition for them to submit it to adds that extra bit of motivation and structure to make it a truly worthwhile endeavour. One that is at the same time fun and engaging yet educational and productive, and we know how rare that can be.

There is no getting around the fact that today’s youth spend the most amount of time on screens than any other generation in history, and it doesn’t look like that is going to change anytime soon. Although it may seem like a lot, or even too much, to us the adults in their lives, this is a case where we may be better served in guiding and helping the youth of today by encouraging them to engage with screens and screen content in a healthy, productive way.

One way we can do that is to support their imaginations and creativity by having them create video and screen content themselves. While we see countless examples of that on social media already, these are just quick video clips with a minimum of originality where everyone is doing the same dance or lip syncing to the same overplayed song.

And though that can teach someone the technical aspects of how to record video and edit it, that is just the very beginning of their potential and what is possible. To utilize the skills they already have, and the technology they are already familiar with, but to foster their creativity and have them use their imaginations is what AIFF Kids is all about.

The AIFF Kids Youth Film Competition

At AIFF Kids, we bring young people and film together in ways that they might not otherwise have the chance to experience and be exposed to. One of our favourite ways to do that is through our Film Competition. 

The AIFF Kids Youth Film Competition is Atlantic Canada’s biggest and longest running film competition for Atlantic Canadian youth aged 18 years or younger. The Film Competition is a challenge, an opportunity to connect youth with concepts of storytelling and filmmaking, and with our talented and passionate regional film industry. 

The Film Competition is a showcase of Atlantic Canada's best young filmmakers, and for many young Atlantic Canadians this is the first opportunity they have to see their work on the big (or streaming) screen and have it be evaluated by our panel of industry professionals.

Past competition participants have gone on to film school and to work in the film industry. Many go on to present their work at the Atlantic International Film Festival, other festivals across Canada, and the world.

It is inspirational to see the things the youth of today come up with every year for the Film Competition. It is a reminder that even the youngest among us have stories to tell and something to say. And AIFF Kids empowers them to create and share, it gives their voices a platform in a way that can shape and guide them well into adulthood and their professional careers. 

We also ensure that the process is as easy and streamlined as possible to encourage participation and not discourage any potential participants. 

• We only accept films up to 5 minutes long, meaning there is a limit to the scope of the movies the kids can make so it is not overwhelming. This is realistic and doable to pull off for anyone, regardless of experience. 

• The submission process is free and easy. It is as simple as uploading a video to the internet, which many youth are already familiar with and can do quicker than most adults!

So many things in life can seem unattainable, or not for us but rather for others. One of the greatest things about the AIFF Kids Youth Film Competition is how it takes something like film-making, which we often associate with million-dollar budgets, Hollywood, and very much a who-you-know industry, and opens that world up to all Atlantic Canadian youth.

Not only does it make filmmaking easy, fun, and accessible, but it has the potential to show youth that there are many things in life that may seem out of reach but in fact are accessible and possible - you just have to go for it. For all the things we can show and teach our children, the lesson that there are no barriers or obstacles if you truly believe in yourself, that anything is possible if you have the passion and put in the effort, is one of the best lessons we can offer them.

So tell all the kids in your life about this opportunity, as well as other adults who have or know children. By simply telling youth about the competition, you are already subtly telling them that you believe in them, that they can do this, and what they have to say matters and their voice should be heard. Let their imaginations run wild with possibilities, nurture their creativity and freedom of expression, and get them started on making their very own movie today!