Our Daily Show Interview! Submissions Still Sought For Fall Film Fest ($500 Prize)

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

LIVINGSTON - Cheap AF Videos will offer a $500 prize for the winner of their Fall Film Fest.

From 7–9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, community members are invited to 600 Livingston Avenue in Livingston for a free film festival, complete with popcorn, candy and a big cash prize for the winning filmmaker. Tony Allen, founder of Cheap AF Videos, explained that the festival will be a fun chance to share work by local filmmakers.

“This is going to be really cool, so submit your film, please,” Allen said. “Bring us your material and let the audience take a look at your talent.”

Films must be ten minutes or shorter and have a PG-13 rating or less. The festival aims to highlight filmmakers from around Route 66.

It costs $16 to submit a film or $7 if you are a college student. High school students can submit films for free, but they must be accompanied by a guardian at the event.

Article continues after sponsor message

The winning filmmaker will take home “$500 and a super cool trophy,” Allen said. They will also have the chance to host their film on the Cheap AF Videos website. The winner will be chosen by the audience, who will vote in an “American Idol situation.” Filmmakers must be present at the event to win.

“You have to be able to attend the film festival to win because we’ve got to hand the money to somebody,” Allen explained. “We’re not just going to hand the money to nobody. There has to be somebody to hand the money over to.”

Allen said no more than ten films will be featured at the festival, and he hopes filmmakers can share a little bit about their work before they show the videos. Films must be submitted to Cheap AF Videos by Sept. 29, 2024, to be considered for the Fall Film Fest.

Cheap AF Videos also has a website where they host independent movies, short films and television shows. They hope to eventually have a subscription service where the filmmakers receive a cut of the profits. The winner of the Fall Film Fest will be offered the chance to share their work on the Cheap AF Videos website.

Allen explained that he has submitted his videos to film festivals before, and he loved participating as a contestant. He decided to host the Fall Film Fest so he could share that experience with other local filmmakers.

“It just was really fun for me and it was very inspiring and motivating,” he remembered. “It was nothing I had ever tried before, and it came out great, and it just made me feel so good to have that done. I just wanted to try to spread it to other people — and the possibility of winning $500.”

For more information about the festival, including how to submit your work, visit CheapAFVideos.com/FilmFest.

More like this:

Aug 13, 2024 - Cheap AF Videos to Host Fall Film Fest for Local Filmmakers

Nov 6, 2024 - Wildey Theater Showcasing Worldwide Cinema For St. Louis International Film Festival

Nov 18, 2024 - SIUE Professor Directs Michael Brown Film to Debut at St. Louis International Film Festival

Nov 11, 2024 - How to Create a Cozy Fall Movie Marathon

Nov 28, 2024 - This Day in History on November 28: The Birth of Cinema