(RED BANK, NJ) -- PROJECT FX 2017, the Count Basie Theatre’s statewide student film competition presented by Bank of America, is live at www.projectFXbasie.com. Starting now, students enrolled at any New Jersey high school or college can visit the site to learn about entering the competition, with an internship experience with Sony Pictures Classics, a high-end Sony camera and $1,000 cash at stake as the contest's grand prize. The deadline for film submissions is Sunday, February 5. Films which will then be judged upon by a panel of regional and industry-wide experts
The 2017 PROJECT FX Festival takes place on Saturday, March 18, 2017. The festival includes workshops with film industry professionals, plus a showcase of the top vote getters in both the high school and college categories.
“PROJECT FX consistently finds the best new talent from high schools and colleges across New Jersey.” said Tom Bernard, co-president and co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics. “I’m looking forward to seeing the entries this year.”
“PROJECT FX is a unique festival that offers some of the most talented young individuals in our state the unparalleled opportunity to showcase their work and learn from the finest in the film industry,” said Bob Doherty, New Jersey president, Bank of America. “The arts help enrich our communities and Bank of America is committed to the arts both nationally and locally. We are proud of our relationship with The Count Basie Theater and its Project FX competition which positively impacts New Jersey youth.”
PROJECT FX is open to students enrolled in any New Jersey high school or college as of September 1, 2016. Last year’s PROJECT FX competition and festival attracted more than 80 high school and college applicants from throughout the state. Finalists from last year’s may be found online .
Entries into the PROJECT FX 2017 competition are limited to ten minutes, and must have been produced no earlier than January 2015 by students then and presently enrolled full-time in any New Jersey high school or college institution. Interested students will upload their films to either YouTube.com or Vimeo.com, and then fill out the official festival entry form at www.projectFXbasie.com. A $25 non-refundable fee is required to enter the competition, and films previously entered for PROJECT FX consideration are not eligible.
From there, a subcommittee and cast of master adjudicators will critique entries using a point system to rate each film’s storyline, cinematography, technical aspects, sound and editing. In February, the ten highest vote-getters in both the high school and college categories will be posted on the PROJECT FX Facebook page, where a separate tally of “Likes” and “Shares” will also factor into final scoring.
