Teenage filmmakers from nine states exhibited 40 youth-produced films at the 2014 FilmFest 4-H in st. Louis, August 3-6. Sixty teens and leaders participated in the educational programs at the festival. Activities included viewing and discussing the teen-produced films and participating in a series of workshops conducted by film industry professionals. The topics included design, writing, casting, filming, lighting, sound, stunts, makeup, costuming, animation, control room operation, and remote satellite transmission.
Among the many highlights:
- Emily Hagins, youngest Hollywood film director and writer, shared her Hollywood-based filmmaking insights from an unprecedented youth perspective.
- Film producer and editor, Russ Weston, winner of fur Emmy and six Telly awards, conducted workshops for the youth in the remote satellite truck and control room on how remote productions get to our television screens; and
- A visit to the nationally acclaimed “CoolFire Studios” in st. Louis where participants visited with professional directors, animation artists, sound producers and film producers as they worked in their studios.
Twenty-nine films were pre-selected by judges to be viewed in five categories: Documentary, Narrative, 4-H Promotional, Animation, and “Voices of 4-H History.” The top three in each category were recognized during the program along with a vote for the audience favorite. According to Tom Tate, the National 4-H History Preservation Team’s representative at the festival, “2014 FilmFest 4-H prepared future leaders to communicate more effectively in changing times.”
Five films from the “Voices of 4-H History” category were selected for viewing at this year’s festival. The three top place finishers in the category were:
- Clay Ferguson (San Leandro, CA), “100 Year Anniversary: 4-H and the Alameda County Fair”
- Eric Glaze (Waynesville, OH), “A Centennial of Extension with Dr. D. Howard Doster”
- Kelsey Hibl and Brittany Berger (Dickenson, ND), “Voices of Stark County 4-H.”
The National 4-H History Preservation program provides sponsorship to FilmFest 4-H as part of its “Voices of 4-H History” initiative. For more information visit: