sun valley jr film

empowering tomorrow's brightest filmmakers

SVJR Film exposes high school students to the power of storytelling by providing a breadth of exciting opportunities to develop and showcase their cinematic skills. Our programming inspires students to explore a future in filmmaking and opens up pathways to make it a viable career option through Festival exposure, networking opportunities and mentorships, and skill developing workshops. 

SVJR Workshops are free educational events intended to provide high school students  the basics of the entire filmmaking process, from brainstorming impactful narratives to scripting and practical filming using accessible resources like smartphone cameras. These hands-on sessions delves into the essentials of concise storytelling. Our instructors will cover everything from editing to sound design, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of bringing stories to life on screen. 

SVJR Film is made possible by

the generous financial support of

the Steen Family Foundation,

 Greater Horizons Foundation

and the Nordstrom Family

SVjr Film Competition

SVjr Returns at the 2025 Sun Valley Film Festival December 3-7, 2025

The Sun Valley JR Film Competition facilitates the discovery and support of the best high school filmmakers by highlighting student work in a film festival environment.

By providing the learning environment for these emerging voices in film to see filmmaking as a viable craft, they are inspired to pursue their dreams and tell their stories.Finalists in the SVJR Film Competition will have their films judged by industry professionals and have the experience of seeing their films screened in the world class Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, Idaho and the historic Opera House in Sun Valley, Idaho. 

“We are excited about our new December dates and we cannot wait to see what the super-talented teen filmmakers around the country submit to the SVJR! Our winner last year was a local Idaho filmmaker. We hope we can build on that and get more local films.” – John Nordstrom, Program Director

ANNOUNCING THE SVJR FILM COMPETITION FINALISTS

To elevate emerging voices in film and support future filmmakers, each year SVFF and the Nordstrom Family produce the SVJR Film Competition. High school students from around the world submit their projects. The winner of the HOT SHOT Award will screen their film at this year’s Festival.

HERE ARE SVJR FINALISTS

A FAMILY AFFAIR – Directed by William Genat
FULL MUGS OF COFFEE – Directed by Sydney Wider
THE GOAT GAMES – Directed by Brendan Buist-Sohn
ILLUMINATION – Directed by Charlotte Anthony
LATE FOR A DATE – Directed by Dexter Shaffer & Jupiter Chapman
MY LIFE – Directed by Nelan Castillo
OCHRE – Directed by Reed Hodgkinson
PEACE OF MIND- Directed by Bluebelle Saraceno
PERIOD – Directed by Daphne Huffman
SATURDAY MORNING – Directed by Winslow King Burnett
SALVATION FOR INTIMACY – Directed by Laura Boo Kundova

Check out Clips from this year's finalists

previous PARTICIPANTS

success stories

Picture of Ashley Jae Uhrig

Ashley Jae Uhrig

2024 Winter Screening Series Winner

“My film, BIG FUTURE, won the 2025 Winter Screening Series Hot Shot Award. My mom and I attended the festival and had the best time. There was a such a good line up of events and films. I got to meet so many industry professionals, who were all very kind and welcoming. All the festival directors/staff were amazing and took such good care of us. They introduced me to all kinds of people and I gained some great connections. I can't wait to come back!"

Picture of Julian Felix Aaronson

Julian Felix Aaronson

2024 Winner

“SVJR had a massive impact on my confidence as a filmmaker. I felt for the first time that my work had been integrated into a proper film festival! The festival flying us out and housing us was just all I could ask for. Being able to see all the high-level films was not only fun but also made me feel that I could participate at the feature film level as well. Just an absolutely wonderful experience."
Picture of Jiayang Liu

Jiayang Liu

2020 Winner

“I was accepted and committed to my dream program of film and tv production at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. I think the SVJFC definitely made my portfolio stronger and even impressed the admissions people.”
Picture of Justin Buss

Justin Buss

2019 Winner

“Not only does participation in film festivals greatly help students get into film programs in college, but there are plenty of other good reasons to do so! For students, having an event to travel to and attend is exciting, especially if they will get to see their film on the big screen. This was absolutely the case for the SVJFC! Any kind of award from a film festival, cash or trophy, looks incredibly good on a resume and it has allowed me to secure gigs in the past, and help me stand out as an applicant even to regular jobs! And it certainly helps out on a college application.”

gallery

past events

SUBSCRIBE

Stay updated with the
latest news & offers.

* indicates required