Here are some fun stats about the submissions in years past!
2005 – 262006 – 142007 – 342008 – 232009 – 182010 – 252011 – 372012 – 352013 – 332014 – 292015 – 212016 – 222017 – 312018 – 162019 – 272020 – Canceled due to Covid-19 Pandemic2021 – 182022 – 23
If we average that 10 people were somehow involved in each film — parents, students, actors, crew, teachers, etc. — then 432 x 10 = 4320 people directly involved in the creation of films for the festival!!! By comparison, the Colonial seats 988 total!!
Film Festival Info
Mission Statement: The mission of the Kiwanis Idaho Teen Film Festival is to encourage a better understanding of and appreciation for cinematic arts, to foster those arts, and to provide a venue for high school students to exhibit their cinematic productions. Funds raised through the Festival will be used to promote and grow the Festival, and to generally support the youth in our community through area High School Key Clubs and other youth-oriented programs.
Festival History: In the summer of 2004, Steve Parry (a long-time member of the Idaho Falls Kiwanis Club) was looking for a way to get the club more involved in service to the youth of our community. It occurred to him that there are many ways for high school students to display their talents, such as athletics, student council, artistry, and performance. He realized, however, that those who have a passion for cinematography – especially digital movie-making – did not have an opportunity to exhibit their craft for a public audience. With this flash of inspiration, the idea to establish the Kiwanis Idaho Teen Film Festival was born. After the help of numerous generous sponsors, the Kiwanis Club adopted the project, and the rest is history.
Past Festivals: Our previous festivals have been great successes. We’ve had hundreds of cheering youth and parents there each time. We have had hundreds of films submitted since the founding of the festival. The first two festivals were limited to Eastern Idaho, but in 2007 we went state-wide. Media students from high schools up to 200 miles away have come to attend our pre-show professional workshops and to watch the screening of their films. We have awarded over $49,000 in well-deserved scholarships. Many of those students have gone on to higher education in the film-making arts.
Where Does the Money Go?: The money raised from the Film Festival sponsorships is used first to support the Festival and to provide scholarships for the winners of the competition. Beyond that, the funds are used primarily to support our Key Clubs in local high schools and other youth projects. Key Clubs are service organizations for high school students, giving them opportunities to seek out, organize, and lead service projects that benefit their schools and the community.
Kiwanis Teen Film Festival 