2026 Y-CAM High School Film Festival at DCIFF

Experience the thrill of on-site awards with esteemed judges from the film industry! Get the inside scoop from industry experts and our captivating keynote speaker about the realities of working in the media world. Discover incredible film school opportunities and connect with fellow filmmakers who could be your next collaborators!

Y-CAM is your golden ticket to showcase your creativity on an international stage and make your mark as a high school filmmaker. Don’t miss out on this unmatched opportunity to elevate your film career!

Friday March 13

6.00-7.00pm: Filming on Your IPhone: A Special Workshop presented by Apple.

Saturday March 14 at Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market, 550 Penn St NE, Washington, DC 20002

12 noon - 1PM: Film School Paths: Representatives and students from MICA, USC, Howard and Bowie State and more provide insights on applying to, getting into and attending film, animation, communications and digital arts programs.

1-3pm: Films in Competition Screening One and Q&A

• Finding Rhythm directed by Janshin Soo (Malaysia/2025/3mins/fiction)
• Serena and the Golden Puzzle dir. by Anouk Fortunee (USA/2025/13.08m/fiction)
• Late for a Date dir. by Dexter Shaffer and Jupiter Chapman (USA/2025/ 2.15mins/fiction)
• M**der Gum And Fly Fishing dir by Charlie McGeehan (USA/2025/13.14m/fiction)
• Human Accident - The Rising Epidemic of Train Suicides in Japan directed by William Ryusei Grové (Japan/2025/6 mins/documentary)
• Drowning directed by Sydney Wider (USA/2025/2.25 mins)
• Veni Vidi Vici directed by Max Silverman (USA/2025/0.47mins/animation)
• To Kidnap a Mannequin dir. by Muhammed Ali (USA/2025/18.07mins/ fiction)
• Mother's Song dir. by Team LIGHTS CAMERA LOVETT! (USA/2025/4.51m./fiction)
• A Place, One Life dir. by Xiufan Xia (Canada, China /2025/4.47m/documentary)
• Snooze directed by Wayne Li (USA/2025/4.59mins/fiction)

3pm-4.00PM: Film and Anime Trivia Games with Great Prizes

3.15- 3.45PM Y-CAM Animation Program Presentations

4.00-6.00PM Films in Competition Screening Two and Q&A

• Second Chance dir.by India Anne Mitchell (USA/2025/8.39mins/documentary)
• What is Art? directed by Sophia Lee (USA/2025/2.40mins/documentary)
• My Life directed by Nelan Castillo (USA/2025/13mins/fiction)
• Common American Crow dir.by Samuel Zalkin (USA/2025/5.30m/documentary)
• How it Should Be directed by Natalie Yerelekian (USA/2025/13 mins/fiction)
• The Unsuspected directed by Ingrid Krahling (USA/2025/5.13mins/fiction)
• The Spot dir by Joy Marie Brown and Kaiya Soliel (USA/2025/12.10mins/fiction)
• Let's Live for Tonight directed by Chase Bradshaw (Australia/2025/7mins/fiction)

SUNDAY Feb 15 Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market, 550 Penn St NE, Washington, DC 20002

11.30AM -12.30AM Sound Workshop / Live Streaming Filmmaker interviews

12.30-1.45PM Screenwriting Workshop with ($12 at Eventbrite)

2.00PM-2.30PM Podcasting/Youtubing How To Experiences: Guest Speaker

2.30-3.00PM Conversation with Famed Actor JB Blanc: a highly accomplished stage, screen and voice actor and director with projects in film, animation, video games, anime, and commercials. His animation work includes Arcane, Dragons: Race To The Edge, Scooby Doo, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers Assemble.

3.00PM- 4.00PM Games and AWARDS Ceremony with the Judges

Nominated Films:

We are excited to announce that we received a record number of submissions this year—160 films highlighting exceptional talent in animation, documentary, and fiction! We are delighted to shine a spotlight on the incredible talents of emerging young filmmakers in 2025! With so many extraordinary submissions, it was a challenging task to narrow down the selections.

We're excited to announce the chosen films that will be showcased and judged on March 14th and 15th in the vibrant heart of downtown Washington, DC. Join us for an inspiring celebration of creativity and storytelling!

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Host or Publisher DC Independent Film Festival (DCIFF)