Anyone can participate in Film Score Fest for free, including novice filmmakers/animators and non-orchestral composers/music-makers.

Overview

  1. Sign up for free to participate.
  2. Filmmakers and composers are randomly paired up to work together on an under-5-minute film (or you can sign up with a partner). Films can be narrative, documentary, animation…
  3. Filmmakers have 3 months to create their film and send it to their composer partner
  4. Composers have 1 month to write music for the film and submit their score. You can:
    1. Write sheet music for the orchestra
    2. OR work with a composer mentor who knows how to arrange music for the orchestra
    3. OR create music live on stage yourself
    4. OR write music for a guest musician to perform live
  5. A panel of judges reviews the films & scores.
  6. The chosen films are screened at Mears Park in Saint Paul with our orchestra performing live, plus any guest musicians/composers performing their own score.

Theme

There’s a new theme each year to inspire your films. Our theme for 2022-23 will be announced at the kickoff event.

Details

For full challenge details, visit this page.

2022-23 Tentative Festival Schedule

  • September 17, 2022 – Kickoff event, theme announced, sign-ups open, pairing of filmmakers and composers begins
  • November 2022 – Sign-ups end, unpaired filmmakers and composers are paired to begin working on their films
  • January 2023 – Check-in event for creators to update each other on progress
  • February 2023 – Films due to composers, composers begin working on scores
  • March 2023 – Scores and final films are due here
  • May 2023 – Outdoor screening at Mears Park

About the Orchestra

The Film Score Fest Orchestra features 16 musicians and a conductor. The ensemble includes one of every standard orchestral instrument, plus saxophone, drum set, and piano.

About the Festival

Started in 2014 by the MNKINO video-making community and the Composer Quest podcast, Film Score Fest has become an annual celebration of local creativity and talent. More than 150 new short films have been created for this festival, by amateurs and professionals, from a 5-year-old’s first stop-motion animation to 64-year-old’s personal search for peace.

Film Score Fest has been featured by Kare 11, MPR, the Pioneer Press, and the Star Tribune. For press inquiries, contact info [at] filmscorefest [dot] org.

“The idea of showing newly made films by local filmmakers with a live orchestra is something that is so special and revolutionary that it must happen again, and grow!”

John Akre, MinnAnimate festival director and Film Score Fest participant