Best Documentary 13 and Over

The Wooden House Arts University Bournemouth

Closing date - Tue 31 Jan

Competition closed

This competition has now closed. For other competitions, please see our competitions page.

The Best Documentary 13 and Over award gives young people the chance to tell stories that they think are imporant, convey their point of view, and develop their voice. Whether inspired by the epic natural stories told in the films of Werner Herzog, or the dry, unassuming wit of Louis Theroux's filmmaking style, we encourage all young filmmakers to find a story in their community that they can shine a spotlight on through the medium of film.

Entrees can take the traditional form of interviews, involve a dramatic recreation, or take more artistic approach. Take a look at last year's winners for inspiration.

In order to be shortlisted for the judge's consideration, entrants must meet the following criteria:

Filmmakers must be aged between 5 and 19 years at the time of submitting
Your film should be no longer than 10 minutes in duration including title and credits
Any music, images and video content from a third party should be cleared for use by the copyright holder. We suggest only using free library music that can be easily sourced online
All young people who have been involved in the making of the film must provide a completed contributor release form (signed by a parent or carer for anyone under the age of 18 years)

You can apply as an individual, a film club in a school, a youth group or any other group of interested young people, as long as parental or carer consent has been granted through the completion of an Into Film contributor release form. If your film is shortlisted, you will be asked to provide electronic copies of release forms for all of the children and young people appearing in and credited as contributors for the film. If you are unable to provide all release forms as requested, your entry will be disqualified. If your film was shortlisted last year, you cannot enter the same film again, however you can submit a different film made by the same person or people.

Winners will not be selected based on technical abilities alone. Judges will be looking at the following criteria to make their selection:

Creativity- the film idea is original and creative and has been delivered well
Story- the story is strong and engaging and captures the viewers' attention
Production values- the use of camera angles, movement, lighting, music and sound effects are effective and strengthen the narrative
The context in which the film was made- whether you are a first time filmmaker, work on your own or in a group or whether you had any professional support

The deadline for applications is 31 January 2017.

Representatives from the film industry will judge three shortlisted films in each category and decide on the winner.

Winners will be announced at the Into Film Awards ceremony on Tuesday 14 March 2017.