“We grow talent“

Introducing, Grand International Film and Theatre festival-GIFT Fest or the Grand International Fusion of Talents festival-GIFT Fest for your consideration to take part in our many categories. If you can film, sing, act and dance and even much more then this is the festival for you!

Pablo Picasso said that; “every child is an artist; the challenge is how to continue making them artists when they grow up” We at GIFT Fest take up the challenge and help you continue with being artists in the best way possible. At GIFT Fest, we celebrate talent as we provide a platform for communication. Performing arts activities in the genres of Film and Theatre allow young people to express themselves through performance, helping them build confidence, communication, and interpersonal skills.

 Film and theatre are platforms where people can tell stories in imaginative ways. What’s more, with mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, creating and editing films or stage performances has never been more accessible for a wider population.  GIFT Fest welcomes you all!

Telling true-life stories through film and theatre and other talents as mediums of communication and telling stories of hope, despair, and entertainment. All productions will be prepared against the backdrop of this theme; CYBERSECURITY/ONLINE SAFETY, amid Covid-19 pandemic -Pains, and Gains

We are proudly supported and hosted by by FilmFreeway

THEATRE PERFORMANCE

As William Shakespeare said… ‘all the world is a stage, and we are all players in it…’ As we take our part in our roles, we should achieve the utmost perfection and maintain our chosen character.

This dynamic segment of GIFT fest offers an amazing opportunity to pursue your passion for theatre and performance in poetry, song, music, and dance. It allows the expression of feelings to the world through live and recorded performances.

Combining academic study and practical exploration of theatre and performance practice, you will gain the knowledge, skills, and understanding that will help you become a versatile and resilient theatre performer.

Reasons to take part in GIFTfest Theatre segment ( Acting, elocution music and dance)

  • Develop your creativity in scripting, acting, and musical performances across disciplines that allow you to choose from a diverse range of options in both live and recorded performances.
  • Build a long-standing reputation for band musicianship and offers a range of diverse modules designed to nurture well-rounded musicians.
  • Create and perform inventive theatre pieces with a fantastic scene on an international platform.
  • Build your professional profile through hands-on experience, Projects and a program of career-focus through experienced hands in the training offered.

Gain merit and certificates and trophies

ANIMATION, FILM, AND CINEMATOGRAPHY

Film and cinematography have played a key role in our interpretation and analysis of the moving image. By taking part in GIFTfest, you will gain a firm understanding of the critical study of films and cinematography.

Building upon this knowledge, you will also examine a range of critical approaches to film and discover how film has become a significant part of our day to day lives as a major tool of entertainment and telling of our stories.

Reasons to take part in GIFT Fest Film segment.

  • Get the ability to script, shoot, and screen your film.
  • Expand your creativity and journey towards a realization of the creation of a mirror of the society.
  • Be able to strengthen your ability of research and location scouting-recce. This way, you end up touring and understanding different cultures and beliefs.
  • Develop creative and digital technology skills
  • You will also have the opportunity to produce several animation projects using a broad range of skills acquired through participation in GIFTfest.

The registration fee for each submission is per participant per genre.

Earlybird Deadline

  • Standard: $35
  • Student: $25
  •  Gold Members: $30

Regular Deadline

  • Standard: $40
  • Student: $30
  • Gold Members: $35

Late Deadline

  • Standard: $45
  • Student: $35
  • Gold Members: $40

Extended Deadline

  • Standard: $60
  • Student: $50
  • Gold Members: $55

Students registering to participate in more than one genre will get prolific participant discount in the following ways;

  • 25% waiver on the 2nd item
  • 50% waiver on the 3rd item
  • 75% waiver on the 4th item
  • And 100% waiver on and after the 5th item.

Students who participate in more than one item get the waivers and also contest for GIFT Fest most prolific student Award

ENTRY CATEGORIES

Playscript and screenplay entry.

Play Submission specifications and guidelines

  • Each play must not be more than 15 minutes long or 5 minutes short. In script submission, 1 page is equivalent to 1 minute 30 seconds of stage time.
  • Each play must be written with the final performance intent in mind.
  • Plays must be bare-bones in terms of costumes, makeup, and props. This is showcasing excellent writing and acting.
  • Each play must have at least 2 to 7 characters.
  • All roles must be functional to the development of the script.
  • You can submit more than one play.

Same script different cast (SSC)category

This is a category for screenplays and stage plays participants. Competitors will register when the cast guide call is given. With the help of teachers/directors casting, and registration will be done.

Groups will then get the same script and start rehearsals that will lead to full production, complete with costume, props, lighting, and set decoration.

Participants will perform stage plays before a live performance.

Screenplays will be screened before a live audience.

Stage plays- Self scripted

Make productions that tell a story of hope and discouraging misuse of online platforms like social media. Your production should educate the audience and show the ills of unsafe use of the internet. Your production should show how cybercrime has increased during the covid-19 pandemic and the remedies that can be put in place. Your play must have all aspects of stage play production and should not be more that 15 minutes. It can be as simple as a skit but as communicative as possible.

Short film

Filmmakers with short films from around the world are welcome to submit. Your film should be maximum 15 minutes long. Use your film making skills to communicate through your film. Make productions that tell a story of hope and discouraging misuse of online platforms like social media. Your production should be able to educate the audience and show the ills of unsafe use of the internet. Your production should show how cybercrime has increased during the covid-19 pandemic and the remedies that can be put in place.

Storytelling

Welcome to tales to tell……tales that were told and tales to be told…. tell us a story, a story of hope. Albeirt Einstein said; “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” so we’ll tell stories to make us more intelligent! Your stories can be clean and hopeful in content. Try as much as you can to link your story to online safety and covid-19. Also, tragic stories are also welcome.

Poetry

“You can find poetry in your everyday life, your memory, in what people say on the bus, in the news, or just what’s in your heart.” —Carol Ann Duffy. Very true you can find poetry anywhere, put it on paper internalize, perform, and record. In your poetic production, you can have a group performance or solo performance of the poetry. Your poem can be of any language with English subtitles complemented with music.

Docudrama

Make productions that tell a story of hope and discouraging misuse of online platforms like social media. Your production should be able to educate the audience and show the ills of unsafe use of the internet. Your production should show how cybercrime has increased during the covid-19 pandemic and the remedies that can be put in place.

Instrumental performance

Instrumentation as a way of communicating is a category that gives instrumentalists the ability to compete in the entertainment and give hope to the audience. You can register as a solo performance or a group with a band. Your production should be fully instrumental without accompanying vocals

Song performance

“Music is the food to the soul”, as said by Arthur Schopenhauer is a trie reflection of how music can be sued to heals. Music is an all-time medium of communication and entertainment. If you can sing, sing! Send in your submissions of open entertainment or singing in line with the theme. Your singing can either be solo, duet, trio, small group, or large groups. You can use musical instruments to complement your singing or perform acapella! what we will be looking for is the musiquality!

Photography

“A picture is worth a thousand words”, and indeed every picture tells a story. Tell us your story of hope through your lens and creativity. You can have your photos in a slide show to give it motion in a logical sequence that communicates. And yes you can have a soundtrack to enhance the mood.

Animation

Make productions that tell a story of hope and discouraging misuse of online platforms like social media. Your production should be able to educate the audience and show the ills of unsafe use of the internet. Your production should show how cybercrime has increased during the covid-19 pandemic and the remedies that can be put in place

MyTalk

Using your ability to motivate using the power of speech is all that is needed. Film yourself giving a motivational speech. My talk is a category that should give hope to society. All talks should give the merits of safe internet and the effects of abusing online platforms. To communicate effectively, use tonal variation, pauses, and real-life examples. At the end of the motivational talk, sign out with THATS MYTALK

Puppetry show

Are you creative and able to create stories and entertainment with clean content using puppets? Then this is the platform for you to communicate to the world using your puppets. Your show should be able to tell a story and give hope while entertaining the audience.

DIY Craft

Do It Yourself (DIY) craft is a creative category for the talented with swift manual dexterity to come up with easy to do DIY projects that can be done at home using simple items. If you can get creative with your hands and mind, do it! Film the process and submit.

News casting and reporting

Use your reporting skills to tell a story in the most eloquent ways possible.Write your news story considering; what happened, where it happened, who are the people involved and when it happened.

Storyboard/ Storyboarding

This is where you need to use your talent in drawing to tell a story in picture form. Your story must be coherent and communicative.

Debate and Moot court

A motion will be given, and you will form teams to either oppose or propose the motion.The second part of this segment is the moot court, where participants will try to mirror a court session. A case scenario will be given, and the two sides will each try to defend their own.

A team comprises 3 students. Schools can register as many teams as they want. Students registered for the Moot Court category may also register for other categories.

Academia Trivia

Here participants will test their academic might as they compete in individual and group categories.

They will sharpen their excellence by taking part in the Academia Trivia contest in numeracy, literacy, and general knowledge.

Stimuli Acting and Scavenger hunt Improvisation

This is creativity generated from the use of stimuli to device stage productions. The contest will also require that you take part in a dramatic scavenger hunt where the props and leads found will help device a production. It’s fun, interactive, and productive! It helps to build the spirit of working together

GENERAL RULES

  • Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only, with the scriptwriter’s name (s), synopsis, title, and contacts.
  • All productions must be in English or with English subtitles.
  • Students must be school members; however, homeschooling students are also eligible to participate registered under a homeschooling body.
  • There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
  • Feature screenplays and stage plays must be a minimum of 5 pages and a maximum of 10 pages. i.e 15 minutes of performance time.
  • Verses, poems, and songs must be a minimum of 2 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes of performance time.
  • Verses, poems, and songs must be a minimum of 2 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes of performance time.
  • Entries must be received on or before the late registration deadline dates and time.
  •  All entry fees are non-refundable but can be credited to the next edition.
  • All submitted scripts must be original and all rights fully owned by the writer(s).
  • The author must submit the material. Material scripted by scripting teams must be submitted by one of the scriptwriters, with the consent of the other(s). All writers must be credited and acknowledged on the title page.
  • GIFT Fest will claim no ownership of your work. All ownership rights to the scripts and performances will remain with the original rights-holder(s).

 We will accept videos and films and from previous competitions provided they meet GIFT Fest criteria and theme