Schaumburg sponsoring 19th annual festival of student filmmakers’ work Friday and Saturday

The work of student filmmakers from near and very, very far will be showcased Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, at Schaumburg’s 19th annual Screen Test Student Fest at the newly rechristened Al Larson Cultural Center.

The event was started nearly two decades ago by a suggestion from a seventh grader and funded by a Schaumburg youth-in-government proposal. That first edition screened all eight films local students had submitted.

This year, 100 submissions from across the globe competed for selection in the festival’s three events featuring both in-person and online presentations.

The festival opens at 7 p.m. Friday, with Screen Test Local, featuring short films by students by high school students from communities across the region at the center at 201 Schaumburg Court.

Screen Test Jr. — an online showcase streamed at screenteststudentfest.org — will highlight the work of elementary and junior high filmmakers from Schaumburg to Taiwan beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The festival concludes at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 11, with the Screen Test International High School Competition, featuring outstanding narrative, documentary and animated shorts from around the world. Nations represented include Australia, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

A panel of 16 judges with film and arts credentials selected the lineup. Festival rules required every filmmaker to participate through an in-person appearance or live virtual interview as well.

“We’re dealing with a lot of time zones, so filmmakers connect with us at all hours to eagerly discuss their films,” said Eddie Sugarman, assistant director of Schaumburg’s Cultural Services Department. “Any of this year’s films would have won an award if they were in the festival 10 years ago. The quality is that exceptional.”

In addition to the prestige of selection, this year’s students are competing for more than $1,900 in cash prizes — including a $500 International Best in Show award.

New this year is a scholarship sponsored by the Prairie Center Arts Foundation: the Rob Pileckis Film and Theater Scholarship, which honors longtime staff member Rob Pileckis. It awards $1,000 to a local high school senior planning to pursue studies in film or video production.

Admission to Friday and Saturday evenings’ in-person events is free — along with freshly popped popcorn. A full listing of the films to be shown can be found at screenteststudentfest.org.