 President Barack Obama poses for a selfie with Bill Nye, left, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson in the Blue Room prior to the White House Student Film Festival, Feb. 28, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) | |
| Founded | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | American Film Institute, White House |
The White House Student Film Festival was an annual event held by the White House and co-sponsored by the American Film Institute. During the inaugural festival in 2014, students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade were able to submit short films about "why technology is so important, and how it will change the educational experience for kids in the future."[1] 16 videos were selected to be screened out of over 2,500 submitted videos.[2] Several celebrity guests were in attendance, including Kal Penn, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Bill Nye.[3]
The 16 video selections were sorted into four categories: Young Visionaries, Future Innovators, World of Tomorrow, and Building Bridges.[4]
The second year of the festival took place at the White House and the Newseum in Washington, DC on March 20 and 21, 2015, with a theme of "the Impact of Giving Back".[5][6]
In 2016, the event was held on October 2, immediately preceding the White House's South by South Lawn festival. The theme was "The World I Want to Live In".[7][8]