Florida's Largest Student Film Awards Return to Maltz Jupiter Theatre — Entries Open Through Feb. 1

Calling all young filmmakers: the 32nd annual Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films is accepting entries, and the red-carpet awards show will be held right here in Jupiter at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre on Friday, April 30, 2027.

Billed as Florida's largest student film competition and awards show, the showcase is open to high school and college students statewide. It's free to enter, and more than $30,000 in scholarships, cash awards and prizes is up for grabs.

Key dates

• Oct. 1, 2026 – Feb. 1, 2027 — Submission window
• April 30, 2027, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Red Carpet & Award Show at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Road

Competition categories

Students can compete in the following categories:

• College Feature/Short
• High School Feature/Short
• Documentary
• Music Video
• Animation
• Environmental PSA
• Commercial PSA
• Palm Beach County Tourism PSA
• Screenwriting
• Poster Design (built around this year's "Fiesta" theme)

There's also a Teacher of the Year award recognizing the educators behind the work.

Palm Beach County high school students are eligible for three additional scholarships: the Burt Reynolds Scholarship, the Film Florida Sara Fuller Scholarship and the Gray Family Scholarship. The Burt Reynolds award carries extra meaning in Jupiter, which was the late actor's longtime hometown.

Winners take home a custom-designed SSOF award and join the showcase's alumni network.

Coming off a record year

The 2026 competition drew a record 636 submissions from 95 high schools and colleges across Florida. Each year, about 50 film and TV industry professionals from around the country judge and score the entries. Past panels have included director Theodore Melfi and musician Robert "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle.

The showcase is organized by the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission, which sees it as a pipeline into Florida's film industry. "It's about building our workforce pipeline," said Film Commissioner Michelle Hillery, describing the competition's goal of connecting students with industry professionals and careers in Florida.

How to enter

Category guidelines, rules, past winners, the judging panel and the entry form are available at pbfilm.com/SSOF. Each project may be entered in only one category and must have been completed within the 12 months before the deadline.