Can you make a five-minute film in a week? Apparently the contestants in the Campus MovieFest can! This national student film festival contest challenges students to make a film of exactly five minutes in length, and even provides students with the necessary tools to do it: an Apple laptop, HD camera, and 24/7 support. The contest started on March 23 and ended at approximately 6:00 p.m. on March 29.

“It’s basically a five-minute movie about anything you want. Last year about 10-15 people submitted scripts and a video. But it can’t be even a second over five minutes or you will be immediately disqualified,” says freshman Jake Athyal, who is an actor in a five-minute Suffolk student produced film.

This national contest is the world’s largest student film festival, and is opened up to student filmmakers from universities and colleges across the country.  This year it is celebrating its ten-year anniversary. According to campusmoviefest.com, “During this year’s tour, 100,000 students will participate in over 50 events, earning $400,000 in prizes and the chance to see their movies on the big screen at school red carpet finales and one huge year-end International Grand Finale, in addition to showcases on AT&T phones and in-flight on Virgin America.”

In addition to student participants in the competition potentially winning prizes like iPads, Final Cut, or paid trips, they also have the opportunity to have their five-minute films exposed on different media outlets such as The Today Show, ABC World News Tonight, and CNN.

The Campus MovieFest is a great opportunity for students to showcase their film-making skills and garner attention on a national scale. Will any Suffolk students make a big impression this year with their five-minute films? Time will tell. The 2011 Campus MovieFest International Grand Finale will take place in Hollywood from June 23-26, when the screening of the short films will occur.