For the second consecutive year, Orlando video production company Vibrant Media Productions (VMP) has offered students a path to earn early career recognition and substantial cash prizes.
This year, the VMP Film Festival provided aspiring filmmakers with a chance to submit their original short films for a chance to win:
- Substantial grant money to assist with tuition costs
- An in-studio interview with Vibrant Media Productions
- A customized, resume-boosting award graphic
- A host of branded merchandise for their entire team
Building on the festival’s 2019 success, Vibrant Media Productions increased the number of eligible universities from just a handful to 10. The colleges included in this year’s film festival were: Full Sail University, Valencia College, University of Central Florida, Seminole State College, Daytona State College, University of South Florida, Ringling College of Art and Design, Florida State University, and University of Tampa.
Students’ films were judged by four Vibrant Media Productions crew members, all of whom have years of videography and production experience. Each submission was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in four separate categories: directing; editing; story; and sound design. To dismiss the possibility of alumni bias, the university from which each submission originated was hidden until the judgment process was complete.
The three winning entries were:
- Third Place (UCF) – PLUGGED, written and directed by Abiesel Baez & Kahlil Collazo and starring Humberto Gal’lino. In a future not too far from our present, a dating app leads one hesitant man through a mind-altering experience.
- Second Place (Full Sail University) – A Girl in Kansas, a horror short directed by Sidartha Biswa and starring Jennifer Utsey and Dennis Frebie. The film centers around a young woman aimlessly walking a lonely road on a stormy night and a good Samaritan with questionable motives.
- First Place (UCF) – Egghead & Twinkie, directed by Sarah Holland, and starring Sabrina Jie-A-Fa & Louis Tomeo. This quirky comedy explores the experiences of two young adults after one casually reveals her homosexuality.
Vibrant Media Productions would like to thank the students for making this year’s Film Fest an incredible success.
Website: https://vibrantmediaproductions.com/