Night of the Dragon Tales
Lights, Camera, STORIES!
The legendary ISCreson’s Night of the Dragon Tales is back and BIGGER than ever!
What started as students bringing beloved stories to life in our target languages on stage and in the classroom has evolved into something extraordinary.
This year, we're rolling out the red carpet for our first-ever Short Film Festival and YOU could be the next student filmmaker to take home a Golden Dragon Award!
THE DETAILS
THE CHALLENGE
Transform a book into a brilliant short film that will leave audiences spellbound at our premiere night complete with awards ceremony and red carpet experience.
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Film Length: 3 – 5 minutes (every second counts—make them magical!)
All students, school-wide, irregardless of their Grade, can enter the challenge—great storytelling knows no Grade boundaries!
THE RULES
The Literary Connection
If it's between covers, it counts!
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Your film must be based on a book, e.i, It needs to be based on either a novel, a short story collection, a graphic novel, or even a poetry collection e.t.c.
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Original stories inspired by books are welcome—think “What if The Hungry Caterpillar had superpowers” or “Harry Potter's summer vacation”?
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Adaptations can be faithful to the source or wildly creative reimaginings.
Creative Freedom Zone
If you can film it, we want to see it!
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Any style!
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animation, live-action, stop-motion, mixed media—have it you way!
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Any genre!
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comedy, drama, sci-fi, fantasy, documentary style, musical, interpretive dance—unleash your vision!
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Any language!
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Subtitles are welcome for accessibility—keep our multilingual tradition alive!
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Any equipment!
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Phone cameras to professional gear—storytelling trumps technology every time!
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Note, your work must be original and not fully AI created.
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Edits, brainstorming, and some post production is acceptable, but this should not be an AI only project!
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Read the Key Rules section below for more details on production originality.
Key Rules
AI cannot generate complete films, scripts, storyboards, dialogue, voiceovers, or video clips—students must do the bulk of the creative work.
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Students may use AI tools for limited, supportive tasks such as brainstorming, editing ( e.g, color correction, stabilization, audio cleanup e.t.c), and creating minor non-central assets like background textures or sound effects.
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Participants may be asked to document their creative process and disclose any AI tools used to verify originality.
Awards
Awards will be given for:
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The Best Overall for each language program
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The Audience Choice, as voted on by the ISCreson Community via the Shorts Website.
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And more!
THE PREMIERE EXPERIENCE
Picture this: You walk the red carpet as photographers capture your moment. The lights dim, the audience hushes, and YOUR film lights up the big screen. Applause erupts. Your name is called for an award. This isn't just a school project—this is YOUR HOLLYWOOD MOMENT!
What to expect
Expect nothing less!
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Red carpet photo opportunities.
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Big screen premiere of winning films.
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Live awards ceremony.
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Red carpet photo opportunities
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Even a website where you can view all film submissions!
PRODUCTION TIPS & SUPPORT
Production Tips
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Start with the book: Choose something that speaks to you. Passion translates to great filmmaking!
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Plan your production: Storyboard your scenes, scout locations, recruit your cast and crew.
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Keep it Simple: The best films often have the simplest concepts executed brilliantly.
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Embrace Collaboration: Partner with friends, siblings, neighbors—filmmaking is a team sport!
Resources & Support
Are you looking to breath life into your film? Here are some free video editing softwares that can help you with that!
Links to tutorials, royalty-free music, and inspiration galleries COMING SOON!
HOW TO SUBMIT
Submit the final film as an MP4 (preferred format) or MOV file via email to Steven Lamb @ steven.lamb@iscreson.com.
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Include a very brief written statement about your book inspiration.
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All participants must be credited appropriately.
WHY ENTER?
Even though the Golden Trophies are pretty sweet, this isn't just about winning awards, this is about:
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Bringing your favorite books to life in a whole new way.
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Learning new skills.
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Collaborating with friends on something amazing.
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Becoming part of Night of the Dragon Tales history.
Ready to breathe fire into your favorite story!?
Whether you're adapting the next great classic or putting a wild spin on a beloved tale, we want to see what magic you create—your story is waiting to soar!
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We can't wait to see what adventures you'll bring to life!
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Remember, every great filmmaker started with a single story and a big dream—let your story take flight!
The Night of the Dragon Tales Film Festival celebrates literacy, creativity, and the power of storytelling in all its forms.
If you have questions, plese contact our Film Festival Coordinator and Director of Community Events, Janet Yenter @ janet.yenter@iscreson.com.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR SHORT FILM TO STEVEN LAMB TODAY!
