Film Festival

Congratulations to the 2026 BISD Film Festival Winners! View this year’s winning student films at the links below.

Elementary Animation

Winner: Michael and The Magic Bag by Rymon Nakhjavan from Academy of the Arts at Bransom
Runner-up: The Lost Stuffy by Annalise Norred from Norwood Environmental Science Academy

Elementary Narrative Winner: Recess Disaster by Harper Anderson from Academy at Nola Dunn

Elementary Viewer’s Choice winner: A Firefly's Light by Joslyn May from Academy of the Arts at Bransom

Secondary Animation

Winner: The Late Passenger by Nathanial Wickson and Andrew Duncan from Game Development Design School
Runner-up: Intergalactic Playground by Jenna Adair from Hughes Middle School

Secondary Narrative

Winner: Breaking Jack by Hudson Brackeen from Centennial High School
Runner-up: Burleson Travel - 754 News by Madilyn Gibson, Chloe Varley, and Libby Ruff from Kerr Middle School and STEAM Middle School

Secondary Viewer’s Choice winner: Burleson Travel - 754 News by Madilyn Gibson, Chloe Varley, and Libby Ruff from Kerr Middle School and STEAM Middle School

December 15, 2025

Congratulations to the Film Festival Finalists! This year, student filmmakers incorporated a special prop, shot, and dialogue into their travel-themed short films. Winning films will be announced and shown on the big screen at the BISD Film Festival award ceremony on January 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Venue, located at 510 SW Wilshire Blvd.

Nominees in each category are listed alphabetically. Good luck to this year’s BISD Film Festival nominees:

Elementary Animation and Stop Motion
A Day at the Beach - by Adilynne McCarthy (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)
Adventure Island - by Dennyson Fluitt (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)
Michael and The Magic Bag - by Rymon Nakhjavan (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)
The Big Adventure - by Allison Tyler, Emily Walls, and Brielle Schilhab (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)
The Lost Stuffy - by Annalise Norred (Norwood Environmental Science Academy)

Elementary Narrative
Recess Disaster - by Harper Anderson (Academy at Nola Dunn)

Elementary Viewer’s Choice
A Firefly's Light - by Joslyn May (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)
Michael and The Magic Bag - by Rymon Nakhjavan (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)
NEW YORK - by Macy Clements, Ariah Akpata-Griffin, and Tatum Hickey (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)

Secondary Animation and Stop Motion
Intergalactic Playground - by Jenna Adair (Hughes Middle School)
The Adventures of Laika and Félicitte - by Rachel Kim and Kameron Box (Burleson Collegiate High School)
THE AMERICAN DREAM - by Jack Myers (Game Development Design School)
The Late Passenger - by Nathanial Wickson and Andrew Duncan (Game Development Design School)

Secondary Narrative
Breaking Jack - by Hudson Brackeen (Centennial High School)
Burleson Travel - 754 News - by Madilyn Gibson, Chloe Varley, and Libby Ruff (Kerr Middle School and STEAM Middle School)
The Power of Music - by Xavier Roberts, Ishmail Kuyateh, and Nicholas Johnson (Burleson High School)
THE WEIGHT WE CARRY - by Michael Duran, Angeline Herrera, Kennedy Gipson, and Emily Gipson (Centennial High School)

Secondary Viewer’s Choice
Burleson Travel - 754 News - by Madilyn Gibson, Chloe Varley, and Libby Ruff (Kerr Middle School and STEAM Middle School)
One Last Day - by Sebastian Jenicke, Pablo Moreno, Malia Valerio, and Alivia Boden (Burleson High School)
The Power of Music - by Xavier Roberts, Ishmail Kuyateh, and Nicholas Johnson (Burleson High School)

Film Festival Entries

Elementary Narrative Film Entries

Secondary Animation Film Entries

Secondary Narrative Film Entries

2026 Burleson ISD Film Festival Contest Rules

The Burleson ISD Film Festival is a filmmaking contest that showcases students’ creativity and production talents. Everyone has a story to tell, and filmmaking can provide an outlet and a fun way to share ideas and creativity. Students with access to an iPhone, Android, Chromebook, iPad, tablet, or high-quality equipment have the tools to plan, shoot, and edit short films! Please see the rules and requirements below to get started.

Theme & Film Requirements

The BISD Film Festival challenges BISD students in grades K-12 to produce either a narrative or an animation/stop motion short film. Student filmmakers must incorporate this year’s theme and required elements into their short films.

Theme: Travel

Required elements:

Prop: Bag
Camera angles/shots: High angle
Line of dialogue: “We/I didn't see that coming.”
Opening title and closing credits (included in the overall length of the short film)

Students must submit film credits and acknowledge that the film includes the required elements on the Submission Form when uploading for submission.

Awards Ceremony

The BISD Film Festival Awards Ceremony will be held on January 15, 2026, at the Venue. Finalist videos for the following categories will be showcased at the event:

Elementary Grand Prize Narrative
Elementary Grand Prize Animation & Stop Motion
Elementary Runner-Up Narrative
Elementary Runner-Up Animation & Stop Motion
Elementary Viewer's Choice
Secondary Grand Prize Narrative
Secondary Grand Prize Animation & Stop Motion
Secondary Runner-Up Narrative
Secondary Runner-Up Animation & Stop Motion
Secondary Viewer's Choice

Rules & Eligibility Requirements

Rules & Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility is limited to BISD students in grades K-12 enrolled for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Students may use any available equipment to create short films, including a mobile device or Chromebook. Please note, according to HB 1481, students may not use personal devices during school hours.

Student filmmakers must incorporate this year’s theme and required elements into their short films. Each short film also requires an opening title and closing credits, which are included in the overall length of the short film. Students must submit film credits and acknowledge that the film includes the required elements on the Submission Form when uploading for submission.

All elementary narrative short films must be between two (2) minutes to three (3) minutes in length.

All secondary narrative short films must be between three (3) minutes to five (5) minutes in length.

All animation/stop motion short films must be between thirty (30) seconds to three (3) minutes in length. All short films must be created and submitted through the BISD Film Festival website by December 2, 2025, at 11:59 pm CST.

Students may create their own music, pictures, videos, drawings, and digital graphics. Any use of copyrighted material without express written permission must be credited in the film. This includes but is not limited to music, pictures, video, and digital graphics. Any videos using copyrighted material without consent or not properly credited in the film will be disqualified.

All content included in the short films must be school-appropriate (no vulgar language, explicit sexual content, excessive violence, etc). The Film Festival committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any short film.

Adult involvement in the project must be limited to teacher or campus sponsors or as on-screen talent or support. Check with the campus for sponsor information or email filmfestival@bisdmail.net.

One submission per student or production team with a maximum of 4 youth filmmakers* on a team. Short films may have more than 4 actors, but only the 4 credited filmmakers* are eligible for the Film Festival awards. *Filmmakers include: students working behind the scenes in producing the short film, writer, storyboard artist, director, editor, sound designer, etc.

All films must be submitted through the Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form by December 2, 2025, at 11:59 pm CST. All filmmakers must export an HD copy - 1080p - of the final short film for submission (can be saved to a device’s camera roll or computer). Short films may be submitted as a video file or URL link through the Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form. An email acknowledgment will be sent upon successful submission of the short film.

Important Dates

Film Categories

Film Categories

Elementary: Students currently enrolled in grades K-5 qualify for this age group.

Secondary: Students currently enrolled in grades 6-12 qualify for this age group.

Viewer's Choice: All short films will be posted after the contest submission closes to be voted upon by members of the community and student peers through the Burleson ISD Film Festival website.

Awards

Awards

Winners will be announced at the Burleson ISD Film Festival Awards Ceremony on January 15, 2026, at the Venue. Awards will be presented for the following categories:

Grand Prize in category (4)

Elementary Grand Prize Narrative
Elementary Grand Prize Animation/Stop Motion
Secondary Grand Prize Narrative
Secondary Grand Prize Animation/Stop Motion

Runner-Up in category (4)

Elementary Runner-Up Narrative
Elementary Runner-Up Animation/Stop Motion
Secondary Runner-Up Narrative
Secondary Runner-Up Animation/Stop Motion

Viewer's Choice in each age level (2)

Elementary Viewer's Choice
Secondary Viewer's Choice

Filmmaking Resources

Pre-Production

The Pre-Production phase involves lots of planning! Before we can start recording or editing, we must first make sure we have a solid foundation in the story, script, and support. The first step to making a film is creating a story.

Think of a Story

The first step in the filmmaking process is to think of a story. Where does the movie take place, who are the characters, and what is going to happen to them? These are just some of the questions your story might include. Creating a story can be done alone or in a group with everyone sharing ideas.

Write a Script

Now that you have your story, you can begin focusing on the details. Where would be the best place to record that chase scene? How would you make the audience believe that the actor has superpowers? What kind of discussions will your characters have, and how will they express their feelings? A script will include all of the spoken text that your characters will say, and it can also include descriptions of locations and camera shots/angles.

Draw a Storyboard

A storyboard allows you to visualize your story into scenes and frames. The camera operator, director, and the rest of the team can all be on the same page and have a shared vision for each scene. Growing your knowledge of different types of camera shots, angles and movements will help guide you in creating an interesting storyboard.

View: How to Storyboard

Click here: Blank Storyboard

Make a Plan

So, now you have a story, script, and storyboard, what else could you possibly need? How about Actors, equipment, camera operators, and people to help you make the film! Before you start making your movie, think about what resources you might need and where you can find them. Will you be shooting this film at school, a park, or someone's house? How will you get there and what equipment will you need? Thinking the process through will help solve some problems before they even occur.

Production

You are now ready to start filming your movie! You should have all of your planning done and access to the equipment you will need to set up your shots, lighting, and sound.

Camera Operating

Whether you're using your phone, tablet or digital camera, the guidelines for camera shots, angles, and movements are the same. Understanding the basic shots and camera movements can help you produce a great looking movie.

View: Basic Shot Types

View: Filmmaking Tips - Telling Your Story Through Video

View: The Rule of Thirds

View: Composition Tips

Audio Recording

Remember that half of your movie is sound and the audience wants to be able to clearly understand what the characters are saying. It is good practice to always check your audio level when recording. Make sure there is not a lot of background noise that might distract the audience, and ask the actors to speak up!

Lighting

Great locations don't always come with great lighting. Film makers use unique lighting sources to help get the perfect shot. A white umbrella, a smartphone flash light, or even filming during the "golden hour" are all simple options in addition to flood lights and spot lights. Consider filming a sample to determine your lighting needs.

Animation

Whether you are creating a live action film or an animation, many of the same previously mentioned skills are needed. There might be a few extra items to consider when working on a stop motion animation project.

View: Stop Motion Filmmaker Lesson

Post-Production

Editing

Editing is the process of compiling your clips into a movie. If you have used an iOS device as your camera, then you can use Adobe Premiere Rush or iMovie to edit the shots together to create your film.

Link: Adobe Premiere Rush Tutorial

View: iMovie Tutorial

Sound

Sound effects can make something seem really big, or really close, and the soundtrack helps to set the mood for the movie. Adding sound effects or voice overs during post production is a major part of the filmmaking process.

View: How to Make Sound Effects

Film Examples

Narrative Film:

Animation Film

Mission Clock Tower from iPadpalooza Youth Film Festival on Vimeo.

Judging

Film Submission Form

All films must be submitted through the Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form by December 2, 2025, at 11:59 pm CST.

Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form

All filmmakers must export an HD copy - 1080p - of the final short film for submission (can be saved to a device’s camera roll or computer). Short films may be submitted as a video file or URL link through the Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form. An email acknowledgment will be sent upon successful submission of the short film.