Rules


Content Guidelines

There are no restrictions in an entry's content as long as it follows these rules and guidelines. Please read ALL carefully:

  1. Films in Track One: Young Filmmakers "Doing Good" PSA should relate or reflect a social issue or existing organization that is working toward social good.
  2. Freeform Films can be no longer than 4 minutes, including opening and closing credits. Public Service Announcements should be 60 seconds or less. - No exceptions!
  3. Entries must have been completed between August 2008 and March 2011.
  4. Public Service Announcements should follow the guidelines of the category specifically. Read the category description carefully.
  5. The entries may not contain violence, slang, or nudity or any content which the general community would consider to be in poor taste or offensive to any race or creed.
  6. Do not include commentary or situations that could be considered racists or offensive to any minority group based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or geographic location.
  7. You may not harm real animals or unwilling people in the making of your video.
  8. Young Minds Digital Times and KidThrive.org reserve the right to reuse any content submitted for promotional purposes.
  9. Do not include guns, either real or fake in your video.
  10. Films depicting horror scenes or excessive violence will not be accepted.
  11. All media sources should be cited in your credits. That includes all and any pictures you did not take yourself, music you did not create yourself, and any other materials that are not original work. ALL sources should be cited in MLA format. Uncited material will not be accepted.

Eligibility Qualifications

  1. Eligibility is limited to students enrolled in the 6th through 12th grades for the 2010-2011 academic year in the United States, or their international equivalents.
  2. Entrants must have a formal adult sponsor who is part of a school or a community group – faith-based, non-profit, after-school program, home school association, etc.
  3. All entry forms must be approved by a film, media or curriculum teacher, school Guidance Counselor or adult sponsor who is part of one of the groups listed in #2.
  4. All entries must designate a category, and only one category.
  5. Individuals or teams can enter the competition. If a group entry wins, the submitting individual will receive the prize and be left to determine how it might be shared.
  6. Group entries must be in one member's name and the other names listed below the entry. A group entry may be submitted only once by a single group member.
  7. Adults can provide consulting and advice, but no adults can help with the actual production of the project! No cheaters!
  8. There is no fee to enter this competition.
  9. We will accept films from any place on Earth (and if you're not from Earth, send us an email and we'll find a way to work you in too).
  10. Students may submit more than one film or PSA, but they may only submit each film or PSA once. So, pick a category that best fits your submission and criteria outlined.
  11. We will accept entries in .WMV, .AVI, .MOV, MPEG and .MP4 formats which are no longer that 4 minutes in length and 1024MB in file size. If you have another format that is not listed here, contact us at films@youngmindsdigitaltimes.com
  12. All entries become the property of Young Minds Digital Times and KidThrive.org. Participants maintain the right to continue to use their entry any way they choose, but Young Minds Digital Times and KidThrive.org also maintain the right to use the entry on our website, in promotional materials, and in any way we deem beneficial to the competition or its mission.
  13. Entries may not have been previously submitted in the Young Minds Digital Times Film Competition.

Submission Process Guidelines

  1. Accurately complete the entire registration form before February 18, 2011 12:00 midnight EST.
  2. You'll receive a registration confirmation email within 24 hours. DO NOT register again. Email films@youngmindsdigitaltimes.com with your full name from the email address you used to register.
  3. All submissions must be in English or subtitled in English.
  4. All submissions must be original works by the submitting student. If you use a copyrighted image or song in your piece, you must give credit to the original artist and include a disclaimer stating that the copyrighted material is used for "Educational Purposes Only". We prefer original work only and look fondly upon you pushing the limits of your creativity. Cite all sources in MLA format.
  5. Entry uploading begins after you have registered: October 4th and runs until March 19th.
  6. All entries must be electronically submitted by March 19, 2011 12:00 midnight EST.
  7. Give yourself ample time to upload these films. They are large and can take several hours.
  8. Each film is manually reviewed for appropriate content by the competition staff. This process can take up to 48 hours after submission, and if there are any issues with your film, or it does not comply with the above rules, it will be removed from the site. You will be notified as soon as possible and if the film is adjusted/edited to fit the contest criteria, it may be re-uploaded by the participant.
  9. We recommend that you do not try to upload over a wireless connection, but plug into the internet to speed up the process.
  10. Winners will be notified by May 20, 2011 when the winners will post on the Young Minds Digital Times website.

Additional Information

If you have other questions that haven't been answered in the Rules and Regulations or through the Frequently Asked Questions page, please email films@youngmindsdigitaltimes.com and allow 48 hours for a response. We will do everything we can to help you with any aspect of the competition.