A student division of the University of New Orleans Department of Film and Theatre will present the 14th edition of the UNO Film Festival from May 20-22.

After a year hiatus, the festival returns to celebrate the achievements of student filmmakers and emerging professionals across the country. In lieu of hosting the festival at the Robert E. Nims theater in the University’s Performing Arts Center this year, the festival will be predominantly online. According to festival organizers, this new, digital festival format will allow them to explore a multitude of ways to share stories with broader audiences.

The UNO Film Fest is the largest student run film festival in the state of Louisiana. The festival showcases student and emerging voices from around the country that reflect the values of students at the University of New Orleans.

This year, there are more than 60 films representing student and emerging professional work from the New Orleans area and nationally. Films range from narrative shorts, comedies, experimental shorts, music videos, documentaries, and graduate thesis short films. UNOFF will also present two virtual panel discussions with New Orleans professionals and national festival programmers. These virtual panel discussions will be available to all who register for the festival.

There will be prizes given to films from festival sponsors including Final Draft, Sound Hard, Channel Vivid, The 48 Hour Film Project, The Holding Tent, NOVAC, New Orleans Film Society, and Panavision. There will be one juried award for best Graduate Thesis film.

Festival organizers state: “Though this festival is virtual, we hope that everyone can participate and view these amazing student films representing not only The University of New Orleans, but other schools and professionals around the nation.”

Festival and reservation information can be found here.