In the spirit of the season, the Blue and White Film Festival is back. Every year, the Penn State Student Film Organization and the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies invites students to submit their films to the festival.

Students from a variety of majors submit their work and hope to make it past the first round of judging by faculty from neighboring departments and film alumni.. A few top-notch films are hand-picked to be showcased at the State Theatre. The red carpet will roll out at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 24.

Once selected, the array of short films in narrative, documentary, experimental, and even animation will debut on the big screen. Every film showcased is created entirely by Penn State students. The hours of writing, filming, and editing scenes is just a portion of the hard work put forth by the talented student population each year.

The Blue and White Film Festival 2016 is a little different from past showcases; screenplays are now included in the running for awards and recognition. Screenplays can make or break a film, so to applaud and foster the writer’s talent, he or she will win a copy of Final Draft screenwriting software. Talk about state of the art!

Admission to the festival is free for students and the general public can purchase tickets for only $6. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the State Theatre Website, or at the box office on the night of the festival. Merchandise like t-shirts, posters, and festival DVDs will also be available for purchase before and after the event.

I can smell the popcorn already. Extra butter, please.