The Challenge

The Va Bene Film Challenge is a program put on by the Va Bene Institute intended to encourage creativity, collaboration and strong work ethic through the art of filmmaking.

THE PURPOSE

Creative Expression - Va Bene believes in the power of storytelling through filmmaking. The goal is to empower students to come up with original ideas, and swing big. This is a safe space to try something new and really go for it.

Teamwork - the competition is designed to challenge the students to hit the ground running. They only have 14 days to finish their films. Students will need to be proactive in their planning, and learn how to collaborate with others on a tight timeline.

Professional Development - each film will be judged by a handpicked group of industry professionals, some of whom are from Indiana. Each pro will judge the films using a rubric and provide written feedback.

Specialized Attention - this challenge is unique in that the Va Bene team is accessible throughout the entire process. By emailing the students to remind them of deadlines, being available for questions, visiting classrooms - the team will give as much special attention as possible to faculty and participating students.

THE SCREENING

In the spring, we hold a screening (typically at the Astra Theatre in Jasper) to showcase the films, celebrate the work of the students, and give out prizes to winning teams. We also invite a keynote speaker to the event to speak on their time in the industry and cover specific topics in filmmaking.