Student filmmakers from across the Central Valley are ready to showcase their work at the annual Tulare County Office of Education Slick Rock Student Film Festival.
On Friday, May 8, the Visalia Fox Theatre will host the festival. It is a free event that is open to the public. The Premiere Cut screening begins at 9 a.m.
At the Premiere Cut portion of the event 174 of the 483 films entered in the festival will be shown back-to-back. The Premiere Cut screenings end at 3 p.m.
The theater is then closed as preparations for the awards ceremony take place. Student filmmakers will start arriving by limousine at 5 p.m. Doors open to the public once students are inside. The program begins at 6 p.m.
The 483 films represent the work of over 1,000 students from 50 different schools in Tulare, Kings, Fresno, Kern and Madera counties. Of the 483 films, 407 were submitted in the high school category, 76 in the middle school category.
“We will present 16 awards plus a best overall award for one high school film and one middle school film. The film categories range from animation and nutrition/physical activity PSAs,” said Rob Herman, Tulare County Office of Education public information officer.
The Slick Rock Student Film Festival is an annual event that invites students to meet industry standards in film production. Middle school and high school entries are accepted for a variety of genres.
The 2026 categories include:
Students involved in the event create films focusing on an important local issue. The films are intended for the general public and should answer two important questions; why should I care about this issue? and what action can be taken to support this issue?
“The Slick Rock Student Film Festival engages students in a positive and rewarding activity. By fostering their creativity, Slick Rock produces the skills students will need to compete in a global economy,” Tulare County Office of Education officials stated. “The project-based competition requires students to produce a video in a variety of genres for real-world audiences, leading them to interact with the local community.”
Started in 2004 by Visalia Unified School District, the event was initially created to improve student writing. Since 2013, the Tulare County Office of Education has carried on the tradition through its CHARACTER COUNTS! Program.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Student filmmakers to showcase work at Slick Rock festival
Reporting by Meade Trueworthy, Special to Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
