Montclair Film Announces Emerging Screenwriters, Filmmakers Comp Winners

2025 Emerging Filmmaker Competition

Montclair Film today announced the winners of the 2025 Emerging Filmmaker Competition (EFC), celebrating the work of filmmakers in grades 6 – 12. The films represent a wide range of styles and voices that showcase the diverse talents of young people who are using cinema to tell their stories. Categories include director, drama, comedy, documentary, action, animation, horror, psychological thriller and social impact films, as well as our Young Visionaries Award for excellence in our middle school category. Screenings of the films and awards were given in each of these categories on Saturday, May 31, at Montclair Film’s cinema The Clairidge, with a reception following at Cinema505.

Shine Global joined Montclair Film as a sponsor, giving out $500 for the Shine Global Resilience Award for Young Filmmakers, along with a $500 prize for the EFC Grand Prize Winner. This year’s judges were Film and TV Executives Evan Baily, Mark Fitzmartin, Amy Friedman, Adam Peltzman, and Joel Stillerman. They were joined by Montclair Film media mentor and emcee for the event, Rasheed Daniel.

2025 EFC Grand Prize Winner: Starting From Scratch

Levi Walker Marsh, High Tech High School, Secaucus

Shine Global Resilience Award for Young Filmmakers:

In Case You Forgot

Henry Slater, Jackson Provan, James Caldwell High School

DRAMA

Grand Prize – K-12

Ethan Szymanski, West Orange High School

Special Jury Prize (tie) – Círculo

Marlee Marte, East Brunswick Magnet School

Special Jury Prize (tie) – In Case You Forgot

Henry Slater, Jackson Provan, James Caldwell High School

COMEDY

Grand Prize – Learning Curve

Vasilios Perides, Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan

SOCIAL IMPACT

Grand Prize (tie) – An Antiwar Film

Willow Dunn Killebrew, Montclair Kimberley Academy; Viren Abroal, South Brunswick High School; May Bahoora, Reese Wolfinger, Columbia High School; Sadie Barrack, Millburn High School

Grand Prize (tie) – Plan B(anned)

Stephanie Liao, Princeton High School

Special Jury Prize – Open Wounds

Brianna Ashley Barnett, Donald M. Payne School of Technology

HORROR

Grand Prize – The Wiccan

Jayden De Jesus, East Brunswick Magnet School

Special Jury Prize – Icarus Academy

Aurora Latona, Jasmine Viera, Mauricio Gomez, Kearny High School

ANIMATION

Grand Prize – Elder’s Crossing 

Ethan Castro, Michael Puma, Middletown HS South

Special Jury Prize – The Ferry

Veronica Saburova, New Providence High School

DOCUMENTARY

Grand Prize – Passaic

Nick Madden Hooper, Pierce Alan Switzer, Emilio Aronoff, Montclair High School

SCI-FI

Grand Prize – Static

Reese Wolfinger, Columbia High School

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

Grand Prize – Lux

Logan Corea Hinojosa, Bloomfield High School

ACTION

Grand Prize – Project Weekday

Oliver Vitale Penalber, Reese Wolfinger, Columbia High School

DIRECTOR

Grand Prize – Starting From Scratch

Levi Walker Marsh, High Tech High School, Secaucus

YOUNG VISIONARIES AWARD

Grand Prize: Larry Loser: Help Wanted

Eddie Johnston, Buzz Aldrin Middle School

Winning films are available for online viewing by visiting  https://montclairfilm.org/EFC-2025 

2025 Emerging Screenwriter Competition

On Saturday, May 10th, Montclair Film held the Awards Ceremony for the fourth annual Emerging Screenwriters Competition. All scripts were judged by industry professionals, and the finalists were celebrated at a Red-Carpet Reception at Cinema505. The Grand Prize-winning script was read at a professional table read.

ESC Judges

Evan Dickerson, Kevin Dreyfuss, Tim Greenberg, Ryan Moore, Kayleigh Nardella, John Rotondo, Alex Schwarm, Susan Skoog

GRAND PRIZE: Gentrified

Xavier Marte, Liberty High School

COMEDY

WINNER (Tie): Gentrified

Xavier Marte, Liberty High School

WINNER (Tie): Funny Business

Caroline Sheridan, Park Ridge High School

FINALIST: Fast Money

Brianna Pearl Anderson, Passaic County Technical Institute

FINALIST: I Would Never!

Carlos Batz Jimenez, Pompton Lakes High School

DRAMA

WINNER: Separation

Logan Corea Hinojosa, Bloomfield High School

FINALIST: Intersecting Parallels

Anthony Michael DeMarco, Middletown High School South

FINALIST: Echoes of Attu

Maya Caroline Konczynski, Roselle Park High School

FINALIST: Your Song

 Hudson Schowalter, West Orange High School

HORROR/THRILLER

WINNER: Nightmares

Willow Dunn Killebrew, Montclair Kimberley Academy

FINALIST: Reflections

Demitrius Joseph Balevski, Pequannock Township High School

FINALIST: Prey

Norah Louise Hershey, Columbia High School

FINALIST: Tracks

Maxwell Talbot, Seton Hall Prep

ROMANCE

WINNER: Fumiyuu

Ryle Navarro, Passaic County Technical Institute

FINALIST: The Letters

Krista R Lilienthal, Pompton Lakes High School

FINALIST: A Bittersweet Melody

Candace Zheng – Garcia, Pompton Lakes High School

“We are continually inspired by the vision and originality of the students in our Emerging Filmmaker and Emerging Screenwriter competitions. This year’s winners represent over 25 schools across New Jersey, and their work—on screen and on the page—reflects a powerful commitment to storytelling. At Montclair Film, we are honored to celebrate their achievements and to provide a platform that encourages their continued growth as artists,” stated Ryan Moore, Montclair Film’s Director of Curriculum and Film Academy.

ABOUT MONTCLAIR FILM

Montclair Film, a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, seeks to transform lives and communities through the power of film and filmmaking. The 14th Annual Montclair Film Festival will take place from October 17-26, 2025. All programs are made possible with funds from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism, as well as the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Montclair Film provides unique and meaningful ways to engage with diverse, creative, and sophisticated audiences and seeks sponsors for its signature film festival and year-round film, education, and community programs that attract more than 100,000 annual attendees and generate more than 900 million media impressions yearly. For more information about Montclair Film, visitwww.MontclairFilm.org

Join Montclair Film Online:

Websites: http://montclairfilm.org and theclairidge.org
Facebook: facebook.com/MontclairFilm and /TheClairidge
Instagram: instagram.com/MontclairFilm  and /TheClairidge
YouTube: youtube.com/montclairfilmfest