Call for Applications: FÍS Film Competition (Ireland)

There is an open invitation to all Dept. of Education designated Irish primary schools to enter their films into the annual national FÍS Film Awards competition.

The FÍS helps develop many different areas of the primary curriculum and in particular develops active learning, creative thinking, language, imagination, collaborative learning and problem solving skills as well as giving children hands-on experience of using creative technology as part of the film making process.

Schools whose films are shortlisted for an award at the annual National FÍS Film Award Ceremony should be available to attend The Helix Theatre, DCU, Dublin 9 in mid-February each year.

Award Categories

• Awards may be made in a wide variety of categories including Documentary, Comedy, Acting, Storytelling, Adaptation, Animation, Special Effects, Direction, Costume, Editing, Production Design, Cinematography, Sound Track, Best Newcomer, Best Junior Class Production, Curriculum Relevance, among others.
  • Special Award Category:
    • For the 19th Annual FÍS Film Competition opening on the 22nd of April 2024, there is a suggested category of ‘Climate and Sustainability’. Films do not have to be on this subject matter, but there will be a dedicated award in this category for those looking to narrow the focus of their submissions.

Film Format

• The preferred file formats are MP4 or Quicktime. When exporting the Final Cut (after editing) please save to the highest possible quality, ideally, 1920x1080HD, 24 frames, quicktime, H.264, Audio AAC – that way the judges are viewing the best image and sound quality version of the film entered.
• Films should be uploaded to a your own or schools YouTube account, YouTube will scan the film to check if it contains copyrighted music. Please do not submit films that YouTube has flagged as having copyrighted music. You can remove any the music and replace with copyright free music from any audio library, such as YouTube’s own or Ben Sound or other creative commons platforms.

Eligibility Criteria

• The FÍS Film Awards Competition is open to all primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Only films created and produced by Republic of Ireland, Dept. of Education designated primary school pupils and their teacher(s) will be eligible, i.e., the film must be the school’s own original work. There is no need to register in advance – simply make your film and enter before the end of June.
• Films submitted must be no longer than 5 mins in length (excluding credits). Any films that exceed this time limit will not be eligible.

Judging Criteria

• When reviewing films submitted for the awards, judges will consider the following:
  • Imagination and creativity
  • Originality of the story
  • Curricular relevance (include details of subject/strand/strand unit where relevant)
  • Support of pupils’ literacy and/or numeracy skills development
  • Excellence in set design, costume design, film direction, film production, the use of sound, acting, cinematography, etc
  • Excellence in the art of storytelling
  • Excellence in the use of special techniques, e.g., animation or special effects
  • Excellence in visual interpretation of a story or concept.

For more information, visit FÍS.