HoCo Student Film Festival

HoCo Student Film Festival

Save the date for the 2024-25 HoCo Student Film Festival: Friday, May 2, 2025.

Film deadline: April 1, 2025.

The 2024-25 school year theme of the HC DrugFree Category is:

Make the Call: Help Without Hesitation

This category was chosen to allow teens the opportunity to create public service announcements informing their peers and the community about Maryland’s Good Samaritan Law.   

Maryland’s Good Samaritan Law protects individuals who seek help during a medical emergency related to drug or alcohol use. Under this law, people who call 911 to assist someone experiencing an overdose or other serious medical issue are protected from arrest, prosecution, and certain legal penalties for minor drug and alcohol offenses. The goal is to encourage people to seek life-saving medical help without fear of legal consequences, ensuring that more lives can be saved in critical situations.

For more information, please visit http://www.hcdrugfree.org/goodsamlaw/

HC DrugFree PSA category submissions requirements:

  • • Please be sure that HC DrugFree is spelled correctly and doesn’t include additional spaces. HC DrugFree really is our legal name. Please do not get creative with our name and be sure spell check does not incorrectly edit a space between Drug and Free.
  • • A cover screen with HC DrugFree’s logo along with a catchy description about your specific PSA topic.
  • • Submissions must include a closing screen with HC DrugFree’s logo and contact information (www.hcdrugfree.org and Admin@hcdrugfree.org).
  • • The names of the student video team members should appear on the next to the last screen and include school(s). If done as a class project or with the guidance of school staff, feel free to include staff names.
  • • Videos can be as short as 30 seconds or as long as 2 minutes. Do not exceed 2 minutes. The time does not include the final cover screen with HC DrugFree’s logo and contact information. Be sure to allow that final HC DrugFree contact screen to remain visible for at least 10 seconds, but no more than 30 seconds.
  • • Because this is a public service announcement, if HC DrugFree’s logo and contact information is missing or not correct, the video will be disqualified from the contest, but after the contest, HC DrugFree may request edits and use the video.

Download the HC DrugFree Film Category Guidelines

Scroll through the slides below to learn how to make your PSA shine!

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For more information please visit the HoCo Film Festival website

Email HC DrugFree’s Executive Director, Ms. Joan Webb Scornaienchi at Admin@hcdrugfree.org to request HC DrugFree’s logo. HC DrugFree’s staff is available to answer your questions, so when in doubt, contact us!

We look forward to playing your films.

Good luck!


To view previous HC DrugFree Category winners, click here.