The fourth annual OK2BX Film Festival will showcase the finalist film submissions created by student filmmakers and present awards and scholarships to aspiring filmmakers at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas.

The event is being hosted by OK2BX Foundation, a Dallas-based organization that seeks to empower diverse communities through arts and cultural experiences. A new addition to this year’s festival is the OK2BX College Fair and Film Workshop at Southern Methodist University, offering educational opportunities for aspiring filmmakers.

“Today’s youth are seeking a creative outlet for their voices to be heard,” Brent Bolding, co-founder of the OK2BX Foundation and producer of the OK2BX Festival, said in a statement. “The OK2BX Film Festival offers young filmmakers a space to share their perspectives on the world around them and the challenges they are facing. As more teens become interested in filmmaking we believe this is an excellent opportunity to provide them with the tools for success and share their craft with others. We are continually inspired by the talent and creativity the students present and look forward to our continued work of elevating Dallas as a creative hub.”

Organizers said the OK2BX Film Festival celebrates the future of cinema, spotlighting the talent, creativity, and visionary storytelling of high school students.

More than 100 submissions received

This year’s competition received more than 100 submissions from 16 different states and five countries, the foundation said. It said that students’ films are judged in the categories of animation, inclusivity, kindness, LGBTQIA+, and smartphone.

Each film is evaluated by an expert panel of judges including Al Johnson, family and community services director at Resource Center; Chris Gardner, general manager of Texas Theatre; Derek Kompare, Associate Professor in the Division of Film and Media Arts at Southern Methodist University; Maureen Womack, owner of Rabbit Hat Promotions; DR Mann Hanson, founder of CinéWilde; and Steven Becker, executive producer of KERA’s “Think with Krys Boyd.”

College Fair and Film Workshop

This year, OK2BX said it is launching their first-ever OK2BX College Fair and Film Workshop, sponsored by and hosted at Southern Methodist University from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The workshop is designed to inspire and empower the next generation of filmmakers, giving them resources to thrive in this industry and empowering them to work towards their goals, OK2BX said. It said the workshops will cover topics such as getting films into film festivals, getting into a college film program, creating a YouTube series, budgeting a feature film, and working in media outside of Hollywood.

Students will have the opportunity to learn about film programs across the country through the college fair.

“The addition of the OK2BX College Fair and Workshops to this year’s Film Festival provides aspiring filmmakers with invaluable tools to refine their craft,” Derek Kompare, associate professor in the Division of Film and Media Arts at SMU and a four-time judge for the OK2BX Film Festival. “This year’s OK2BX Film Festival offers students hands-on experience and practical skills, preparing them to enter the field of film. The Festival’s focus on nurturing new talent, while promoting inclusivity, makes it a unique opportunity for young filmmakers.”

The 2025 OK2BX Film Festival is supported by Comerica Bank, Commerce House, Dallas Rainbow Counseling, Texas Health Resources, and Susan and John Wellik. 

For film festival tickets, go here. Registration for the college fair and workshops is available here. 

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