Winning Films

Thank you to all of the students and adult sponsors for participating in the GEG Chicagoland Student Film Festival! This film competition is a chance for K-12 students get empowered and flex their creative muscles. The goals of the fest are: Building student voice, Creating authentic audience, Empowering student agency

2023 - 2024 Winning / Recognized Films

Students were challenged to dream up and create a 2-minute film responding to the following prompt: "TELL YOUR STORY..."

Below are the winning and recognized entries for the 2023 film festival.

Middle School Grand Prize Winner

Best Middle School Connection to the 2023

"What Life is REALLY Like with ADHD"

Filmmakers: Sadie Strausss and Noa Blumberg

Middle School Grand Prize Winner

Best Middle School Connection to the 2023

"School and Swim: A Teens Journey"

Filmmakers: Milena Maksimovich

Future Filmmaker Award

"My Journey"

Filmmaker: Weston Mui

Best Use of Point-of-View Camera Techniques

"Life with OCD"

Filmmaker: Judah Kaplan

Best Use of Stop Motion Animation

"A Watchful Star"

Filmmaker: Katherine Cowperthwaite

High School Grand Prize Winner

Best Cinematography

"Eat, Sleep; Repeat

Filmmaker: Shea Holt

Best "Tell Your Story" Storytelling Award

"A Moment of Serenity"

Filmmaker: Rosemary Bullwinkel

Best Cinematography

"Broken"

Filmmaker: Simon Finke

Best Use of Art and Emotion to Represent the Theme "Tell Your Story"

"Listen Before I Go"

Filmmaker: Makahla Richie

2022 - 2023 Winning Films

Students were challenged to dream up and create a 2-minute film responding to the following prompt: "MY WORLD..."

Below are the winning entries for the 2022 film festival.

Elementary Grand Prize Winner

"Worlds"

Filmmakers: Julien Butchko, Jameson Fumagalli

Middle School Grand Prize Winner

"Boy on Wire"

Filmmakers: Julien Zoppe

High School Grand Prize Winner

"Home"

Filmmakers: Samuel Scoville

Best Personal Connetion to the Theme

"Vasi's Creative World"

Filmmakers: Vasisht Chilakala

Best Documentary

"Eyes on the Storm"

Filmmakers: Yunan Singara Kasi, Jack Leman, Sean Siwicki

Most Artistic

"Art is My World"

Filmmakers: Elle Baker

A World Of Sounds (_My World_ Film Festival 2022 Alexander Karellas).mp4

Most Inspirational

"My World of Sounds"

Filmmakers: Xander Karellas

Most Creative Connection to the Theme

"A Different "Paw"Spective"

Filmmakers: Nolan Mclean

Best Use of Visual Effects

"My Globe, My World"

Filmmakers: Christopher Devor, Yousef Abutaleb, and Connor Curry

Best Use of Animation

"The World We Live In"

Filmmakers: Paulina Gal

Best Storytelling

"Wish"

Filmmakers: Jacinta Diversiev

Best Comedy / Use of Humor

"Basketball"

Filmmakers: Alexander Fako

2021 - 2022 Winning Films

Students were challenged to dream up and create a 2-minute film responding to the following prompt: "IMAGINE"

Below are the winning entries for the 2021 film festival.

Elementary Grand Prize Winner

"My Unicorn World"

Filmmakers: Mihika Agarwal

Middle School Grand Prize Winner

"The Gift"

Filmmakers: Weston Mui

Aidan Kelly

Ella Radojkovic

High School Grand Prize Winner

"Imagine a World Without Covid-19"

Filmmakers: George Bilecki

Ben Detampel

Liam Ryan

Excellence in Storytelling

"The Treasure of Regnum"

Filmmakers: Katrina Marzuki

Melissa Rambissoon

Mia Willis

Ashley Robinson

Best Documentary

"Fourth Rock from the Sun"

Filmmakers: Margo Pagonis

Best Visual Effects

"Paused"

Filmmakers: Christopher Smith

Best Silent Film

"Your Imagination Can Take You Anywhere!"

Filmmakers: Molly Dignan

Payton Benoit

Gina Czochara

Most Imspirational Film

"Picture Yourself"

Filmmakers: Isabella Bernal

Best Sports Film

"Mya's Basketball Journey: Practice Makes Perfect"

Filmmakers: Mya Casler-Torres

Best Art Film

"If It Was You"

Filmmakers: Ezra Frazier

Best Use of Stop Motion

"A.L.I.E.N."

Filmmakers: Julien Butchko

Jameson Fumagalli

2019 - 2020 Winning Films

Students were challenged to dream up and create a 2-minute film responding to the following prompt: "Come Together!"

Below are the winning entries for the 2020 film festival.

MOST ARTISTIC

"Saving Art"

Filmmakers: Maggie McBrayer

Churchhill Elementary School

MOST INSPIRATIONAL

"Coming Together for Cancer"

Filmmakers: Sarah Condroski, Talah Goldfarb

Northwood Junior High School

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

"Come Together - Friendsgiving"

Filmmakers: Luke Mayer, Riley Barnacle, Mitchell Barnacle

Lemont High School

BEST CONNECTION

"Our Home Away from Home"

Filmmakers: Sadie Chodash, Jordyn Golding, Alex Karel

Caruso Middle School

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRAND PRIZE

"The Sandwich"

Filmmakers: Isabella Oggenfuss, Gabrielle Smith

Graham Elementary School

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRAND PRIZE

"Flames of Notre Dame: Come Together"

Filmmakers: Ananya Swaminathan, Atif Mohamed, Laurie Sterzinger, Emily Schalk

Hill Middle School

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

EXCELLENT IN FILM MAKING

"Group 1"

Filmmakers: Weston Mui, Shayna Youkhana, AJ Haley, Kaya Luczkiewicz, Brady Soss

Countryside, North Barrington and Hannah Martin Elementary Schools

2019 - 2020 Other Featured Films

FILM MAKING ON A PHONE

"Change the Holiday"

Filmmakers: Ariana Rendon

2018 - 2019 Winning Films

Students were challenged to dream up and create a 2-minute film responding to the following prompt: "Make a Change!"

Below are the winning entries for 2019 film festival.

POWERFUL STORYTELLING PRIZE

"The Stomp Down"

Filmmakers: Riah Trevino, Jeremy Davis, Lupe Soto

Oswego High School

ACTIVATING GLOBAL CHANGE PRIZE

"Our World"

Filmmakers: Connor Kozlik, Ariel Schultz, Charitha Jyoti

Hill Middle School

ELEMENTARY GRAND PRIZE

"Stop Animal Abuse"

Filmmakers: Rebecca Gilbert, Carly Novack, Isabelle Mckee

Roosevelt Elementary School

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRAND PRIZE

"Helping the Homeless"

Filmmakers: Simone Criz, Sabrina Sale, Izzy Siegel

Caruso Middle School

2017-2018 Winning Films

Students were challenged to dream up and create a 3-minute film responding to the following prompt: "In Another's Shoes"

Below are the winning entries for 2018 film festival.

BEST BIOGRAPHY FILM

"Life in My Shoes"

Filmmaker: Mitch Metivier

Normal Community High School

BEST CONNECTION TO THEME

"Envy"

Filmmakers: Anthony Wang, Grace Lee, Heewon Ahn and Minjun Choi

KIS (Korea International School)

A DAY IN THE LIFE

"In Sarah's Shoes"

Filmmaker: Jake Weinstein and Giancarlo Guccione

GEMS World Academy- Chicago

MOST INSPIRATIONAL

"In Another's Skates"

Filmmakers: Samantha Smith and Shayna Goldberg

Caruso Middle School

BEST EARLY ELEMENTARY GRAND PRIZE

"A Day in Pete's Shoes"

Filmmakers: Weston Mui, Payton Kozlowski, Seneca Mohr and Kiran Patel

North Barrington Elementary School

LATE ELEMENTARY GRAND PRIZE

"A Toast To Friendship"

Filmmakers: Josie Kim, Angelina Sylvestri and William Wegner

Lincoln Elementary

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRAND PRIZE

"One Friend"

Filmmakers: Ilana Epshetsky, Leo Furr, Payton Gavaldon, Will Hale and Zavier Ramirez

Augustus H. Burley School

HIGH SCHOOL GRAND PRIZE

"Fifteen"

Filmmakers: Riah Trevino, Charlote Conkrite, Victoria Trevino, Lupe Soto, Julia Andersen, Londen Batts and Audrey Mikelson

Oswego High School

2016 - 2017 Winning Films

Students were challenged to dream up and create a 3-minute film responding to the following question: What’s Your Superpower? Tell us how you can change the world for the better.

Below are the winning entries for 2017 prompt.