2018

The 7th annual BHFF screening was amazing and joyous.  We received over 130 submission from Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City,  Caroline County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County. We screened 20 finalists in the Charles Theatre in Baltimore. This year we raised the cash awards from $200 to $300 and the award films are screened at the national Johns Hopkins University's High School Film Contest and Festival.

A big thank you to our great panel of judges for their time, devotion, and expertise:

The 2018 award recipients are:

  • Animation – Growth Spurt by Tony Senatore, Baltimore County

  • Documentary – Potbelly: The Mini Pig Truth by Marie Panday, Baltimore County

  • The Mix – How to Make a Film by Samyukta Panth, Anne Arundel County

  • Advocacy – N-Word by Kyler Smith, Baltimore County

  • Narrative Short – Hat by Eli Golding, Baltimore County

2018 festival pictures

2017

Another fun and successful screening of our 6th annual festival.  This year students from Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Harford County, Montgomery County, Washington County, and Washington D.C. submitted videos to the festival. We screened 25 amazing films at the historic Charles Theatre.

A big thank you to our great panel of judges for their time, devotion, and expertise:

The 2017 award recipients are:

  • Animation – Dollars Down by William Kraft, Baltimore County

  • Documentary – After Freddie Gray: What Now? by Students of the Wide Angle Youth Media Mentoring Video Project, Baltimore City

  • The Mix – A Life Well Spent by Eli Henslee and Samby Barber, Baltimore City

  • Advocacy – Save My School by Destiny Brown and Tahir Juba, Baltimore City

  • Narrative Short – The Downfall of Tracey Summers by Maya Wilson, Baltimore City

2016

The 5th annual Baltimore High School Film Festival was super fun. We received submissions from Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Howard County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County. We screened a total of 31 films at the historic Charles Theatre.

Deep gratitude to our 2016 judges: 

The 2016 award recipients are:

  • Animation - Field Trip by Zachary Westra, Baltimore County

  • Documentary - Adelberg by Vinny Sacchetti, Baltimore County

  • The Mix - Fears Encounter with Desire by Matthew L. Rice, Montgomery County

  • Advocacy - WAKE UP: An Educational Dream by Louis William and other students from New Lens/Light City Scholars, Baltimore City

  • Narrative Short - Hello, World! by Aldi Maray, Howard County

2015

The 4th annual BHFF got even bigger! We received 130 submissions from nine counties and expanded the festival screening to 29 videos.  We also introduced the Director’s Award, a $100 price giving to honor an exceptional filmmaker, totaling the award money to $ 1100.

We thank our judges for their time, dedication, and expertise:

The 2015 award recipients are:

  • Animation - Sleep by the Baltimore School for the Arts Stage and Design Production sophomore class, Baltimore City

  • Documentary - Heart of a City by Alex Burke, Baltimore County

  • The Mix - Oh, Malo "Hey, Mr. Paul" by Brett McLoughlin, Baltimore County

  • Advocacy - Just To Live by Gaia Bethel-Birch, Baltimore City

  • Narrative Short - To Play in Life by Katie Mlinek, Baltimore County

  • Director's Award - Christopher Cox, Howard County, for Somnium and Knock Knock

2014

The 3rd annual Baltimore High School Film Festival at the Charles Theater was the biggest yet. We had a total of 100 submissions from: Baltimore, Ann Arundel, Carroll, Charles, Harford, Howard, and Montgomery County, as well as Baltimore City, and Washington DC.

The festival was juried by:

The festival screened 24 videos and granted a total of $ 1000 to the winners. 

The 2014 award recipients are:

  • Animation - The Carsons by Noah Cutwright, Baltimore County

  • Documentary - Bill Monroe by Aidan Callahan, Baltimore County

  • The Mix - Here & Alive by Georgia Beatty, Baltimore County

  • Advocacy - What Taste Better Than Skinny Feels by Aidan Spann, Baltimore City

  • Narrative Short - Town Painters by Daniel Hentschel, Harford County

2013

The 2nd annual Baltimore High School Film Festival took place on June 6th at the historic Charles Theater in Baltimore Station North Art District. Five judges, one for each category, juried the festival:

The BHFF 2013 received submissions from Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Harford County, Charles County, Montgomery County, Ann Arundel County, Howard County, Frederick County, and Allegany County. The festival screened 20 videos and granted a total of $ 1000 to the winners.

The 2013 award recipients are:

  • Animation - The Tennis Ball by Austin Fleck, Baltimore County

  • Documentary - Baltimore Polytechnic Institute: A Model of Desegregation Before Brown by Brian Mitchell, Montgomery County

  • The Mix - My People by students of the Baltimore Talent Development High School and Griot's Eye, Baltimore City

  • Advocacy - The Skin We're In by Kyra Scott, Baltimore City

  • Narrative Short - Wait, It Gets Better by students of the Harford Film Camp, Harford County

2012

The 1st annual Baltimore High School Film Festival took place at the historic Charles Theater in the Station North Art District. Award-winning local filmmaker Matt Porterfield and former City Paper editor Lee Gardner juried 84 submissions from 9th to 12th grade students from Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.

     Of the 84 submissions 18 were chosen as finalists by the judges, organized in four categories: Animation, Documentary, The Mix, and Narrative Shorts. The filmmaker with the highest score in each category received a check of 200 Dollars. In addition, the filmmaker with the highest points given by the judges received a one-on-one training session provided by Chesapeake Systems.

The 2012 award recipients are:

  • Animation - The Princess and the Dragon by Christine Dreyer, Baltimore County

  • Documentary - Health, Interrupted by students of the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore City

  • The Mix - Four Women by students of the Baltimore Talent Development High School and Griot's Eye, Baltimore City

  • Narrative Short - Amos Ego by Ivan Figgs, Baltimore City