The 2024 Mason Film Festival will be May 2 - May 4, 2024. More information coming January 2024.
About the Mason Film Festival
The annual Film Festival at George Mason University features the work of our Film and Video Studies (FAVS) program students.
Our event is free and open to the public, held in the Johnson Center Cinema. We invite students to bring their family and friends, and encourage representatives of local companies and organizations, as well as community members to attend.
This year's schedule begins on May 4 and 5, two days of screenings for a variety of student films, including documentaries, community-engaged learning projects, and music videos. On Saturday, May 6, our Senior Showcase includes the following: Rising Seniors in FAVS 498 Development for Senior Project present their thesis film projects for monetary prizes. Following, students in FAVS 497, Senior Film Practicum, display their reels in the Johnson Center Cinema lobby and FAVS 499, Senior Project, students screen their films in the Cinema. All students participate in Q&As.
Following the Showcase, we have an Awards Ceremony. Here we announce awards for Academic Achievement and Capstone Excellence. We also present Technical and Showcase Awards from juries comprised of faculty, Film at Mason Advisory Board members, alumni, and industry professionals. The coveted “Best of Fest” award is voted on by the audience.
Registration is required for each day and can be found at the links below. Both Mason Community Members and Non-Mason Members are encouraged to register. We have a separate registration for the Senior Showcase on Saturday. One ticket is available per person. If you plan to bring guests, they must also register.
Students, alumni, and family and friends packed the Harris Theatre at our Mason Film Festival and FAVS @ 10 anniversary celebration in 2018.
Professor Steger with his FAVS 499 Senior Project Directors at the 2022 Mason Film Festival.
Mason Film Festival Program
Poster Design Winner
Congratulations to our poster design winner, Sydnee Jiggetts!
Sydnee is a Junior at George Mason University, majoring in Film and Video Studies with a concentration in Production and Post-Production/Editing and a minor in Graphic Design. In addition to being a film student, she is also the Art & Photography Editor at Student Media's Volition magazine. Sydnee has a background in drawing and painting, and is most interested in wildlife and conservation photography. She plans to pursue both filmmaking and graphic design after college.
Festival Schedule of Events
The Mason Film Festival has passed and registration is closed. Below is the schedule of events from this past year. Continue to check this page for the latest information and a save-the-date for next festival.
Thursday, May 4, 2023
1:30-4:30pm - FAVS 496 Staged Readings (JC Gold Room)
4:00-5:00pm - FAVS 378 Web Series
5:00-6:10pm - FAVS 399 Music Video
6:10-7:50pm - FAVS 255 Vid. Production
7:50-8:20pm - FAVS 490 Ind. Study
Friday, May 5, 2023
3:00-3:35pm - FAVS 366 Social Change
3:35-4:30pm - FAVS 300 Global Horror
4:30-6:30pm - FAVS 365 Documentary
6:30-8:00pm - FAVS 375 Fiction Film
Saturday, May 6, 2023
3:00-4:00pm - FAVS 498 Pitches
4:00-4:45pm - FAVS 497 Capstone (Edit and Cine)
4:45-5:15pm - FAVS 497 Capstone (Producing)
5:15-8:15pm - FAVS 499 Senior Showcase
8:15-10:15pm - Awards (JC Bistro)
2023 Graduates receiving their official Film at Mason pins during the Awards Ceremony.
Congratulations to our Award Winners
Academic Excellence Award
This award goes to students with the highest GPA with 120 credits at Mason
Jennifer Vu
Sabrina Beach
Tiffany Vu
Ryan Burke
Ty Wright
Academic Achievement Award
This award goes to students with the highest GPA with credits transferred to Mason.
Sarah Strunk
Daija Sykes
Professional Achievement Award
This award honors outstanding achievements in professional preparation for the field of film and video studies.
Daniel Taylor
Sophie Potts
Paul Lee
Mya Kenton
Service Award
This award recognizes outstanding service to the Film and Video Studies Program.
Hintsa Mehari
Capstone Awards
Olivia Cunningham (Producing)
Cullen Livingstone (Cinematography)
Sabrina Beach (Editing)
Tyler Means (Screenwriting)
Showcase Awards
Best of Fest: "Surrender," Tiffany Vu
Best Drama: "We're Only Strangers," Jennifer Vu
Best Comedy: "Side Bi Side," Will Fochtmann
Best Horror/Thriller: "Oscuro," Wenhao Wang
Best Fantasy Sci-Fi: "Countdown," Jaiden Williams
Best Romance/Rom-Com: "Ms. Understanding," Damien Krzesinski
Best Experimental/Non-Narrative Film: "Jazz," Andrew Opitz
Story Changes the World: "Transcendent Love," Ty Wright
Audience Awards
Audience Award Block 1
Jennifer Vu, "We're Only Strangers"
Audience Award Block 2
Tiffany Vu, "Surrender"
Technical Awards
Best Producing: Iana Lee, "Jazz" and Daniel Zaitoun, "We're Only Strangers"
Best Co-Producing: Tariq Ismail, "Ms. Understanding"
Best Editing: Sabrina Beach, "We're Only Strangers" and Elissa Padula and Paul Lee, "Countdown"
Best Cinematography: Jessilee Pollet, "Side Bi Side"
Best Sound Design: Paul Lee, Justin Tyler Bowers, and Laim Tipler, "Oscuro"
Best VFX: Julian Pryce, "Ms. Understanding" and Wenhao Wang, "Oscuro"
Best Color Grading: Sidney Mullins, "Ms. Understanding" and Wenhao Wang and Matthew Baltar, "Oscuro"
Best Original Score: Martha Molinaro and An Tran, "Surrender"
Best Costume: Jae Villatoro and Angel Lee, "Invoke"
Best Make-Up: Jennifer Vu, "Welcome to Grailwood"
Best Production Design: Mat Ross and Olivia Williams, "We're Only Strangers" and Olivia Williams, "Surrender"
Pitch Awards
Best Digital Pitch: Sarah Heaton, "She Shot That"
Best Lookbook: Sarah Heaton, "She Shot That"
Best Pitch Delivery: Spencer Phillips, "Found and Lost"
Best Pitch Story: Michael Rivera, "History 101" and Mauricio Alarcon, "La Vida"
Faculty Awards
Outstanding Directing: Tiffany Vu, "Surrender"
Exceptional Performance: Kayla Stephens, "Countdown"; Kiara Lu, "We're Only Strangers"; Catarina Kim, "Surrender"; Zoe B Winter, "Transcendent Love"; Justin Bowers, "Side Bi Side"; Miju Kim Pascual, "Surrender"
Exceptional Ensemble Performance: Jennifer Vu, "We're Only Strangers"
Best Screenplay: Jennifer Vu, "We're Only Strangers"
Support Scholarships
Each year, Film at Mason awards scholarships to senior students at the Mason Film Festival. These scholarships are made possible through your contributions. Seniors use these scholarships to cover their film production costs.
Whatever the size of your gift, you can make a difference in the lives of our filmmakers.
Class of 2023 graduating directors during the FAVS 499 Senior Showcase Q&A.
A Successful Match Challenge
During the May 4-6, 2023 Mason Film Festival scholarship campaign, we raised $7,594.77 to go toward Film at Mason scholarships for the coming academic year.
Thank you to everyone who contributed gifts, especially our Alumna and Film at Mason Advisory Board member, Clara Kelly, who initiated our successful match challenge and matched gifts up to $2,000.
If you were unable to attend the festival and are interested in supporting our aspiring filmmakers, there is still an opportunity to make a gift.
To give, text GIVE2FILM to 41444 or scan the QR code above. All contributions to scholarships will be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Thank You to Our Supporters
Producer ($2,500 and above)
- Clara and John Kelly
- Willy Meaux
Director ($1,000-2,499)
- Dr. Joy R. Hughes and Mr. Kenneth Lee
- Kathleen and John Kehoe
- Melanie Sams
- Paul and Virginia Singh
Screenwriter ($500-999)
- Dr. Rick Davis and Ms. Julie Thompson
Leading Role ($250-499)
- G. Chesler
- Ms. Melissa J. Houghton
Supporting Role ($100-249)
- Theodore Adams, Red Zeppelin Productions
- Vicki and John Salmon
- Mr. Jim Folliard
- Cynthia and Thomas Judge
- Michael and Susan Kehoe
- Justin Plakas
Friend (up to $99)
- Anonymous
- Ryan Braaton
- Amanda Kraus
- Shawn Malangyaon
- Catherine Morse
- Stanford Morse
- Robert and Ida Portland
- Samantha Sinagra
- Unified Home Industries, Inc.
- Lewis and Anne Wright
- Mrs. Lorriz Anne A. Yi
Parking
Covered hourly parking is available in the Mason Pond Parking Deck (4500 Aquia Creek Lane, Fairfax, VA 22030), adjacent to the Johnson Center. Exit the parking deck on the ground floor on the South Plaza; the Johnson Center is directly across from the deck next to the Mason statue.
Contact Us
For questions or accessibility concerns, email film@gmu.edu.
We hope to see you at the festival!