This community-based showcase for young filmmakers supports the development of storytelling through the means of digital literacy. Named for the Adirondack Area students reaching “Beyond the Peaks,” the first festival took place as a red-carpet event at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake in May 2019.
In 2020, the festival took place entirely online due to COVID restrictions. Student films were enjoyed and voted on by 224 viewers in the Adirondack region and beyond. Beyond the Peaks also held a statewide “Spread the Word, Not the Virus” student Public Service Announcement contest in December 2020, with 53 students from 31 schools in all regions of the state participating.
The 2021 Festival was launched state-wide and culminated in an awards show presented online via Zoom on Friday June 4, 2021, with live acceptance speeches made by student filmmakers.
Watch the awards presentation here:
Following the formal presentation, those of us who organized the event, had the opportunity to speak with the participants. Approximately thirty-six students, teachers, and family members registered to attend the virtual event. We are looking forward to a return to an in-person red carpet event for this project. The in-person workshops we provided to students and teachers in the months prior to the red-carpet event will also return for the 2022 Festival.
Learn more about the Beyond the Peaks Student Film Festival and watch this year’s finalist films in all categories.
