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Word Festival

Fall 2024 Word Festival

CITL, along with campus and community partners, will host the ninth annual Fall 2024 Word Festival throughout the month of October. See below to read guidelines, submit entries and see last year's winners.

About Word Festival

The Word Festival contest involves students making short, live-action videos (20 seconds or less) in which they express the meaning of a particular word to the viewer. Words must be derived from an archived list of the New York Times Word Of The Day [PDF], and definitions must be derived and cited from Merriam-Webster Online, Cambridge Dictionary Online, or Dictionary.com.

In addition, there are Foreign Language and Medical categories for classes seeking discipline-specific words. Students participating in those areas can use one of the resources listed below, or other authoritative source. Rules are the same, see guidelines below for specifics and an example video. Students in both tiers can choose to participate in the main category or the foreign language category:

Guidelines and Submission

Participation guidelines are below, they are short and simple - READ CAREFULLY!

  1. Videos must be no more than 20 seconds
  2. Video must be original and live-action (can have additional elements).
  3. Each word must be displayed, pronounced and defined, and the part of speech given.
  4. For words in a language other than English: the language should be given and the word should be displayed and pronounced in the language. Provide an English translation of the definition (subtitles may be used).
  5. If there are several definitions, the first one is fine (though a second or third definition could be used as well).
  6. Use your imagination. You can act the word out, dramatize it, use puppets, draw, sing a song, create a dance, write a skit, incorporate photographs, use claymation, stop-motion, or anything else that will help viewers understand and learn your word.
  7. Commercially produced media and stock footage are not permitted.
  8. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube.com to be considered (participants will provide the URL in the submission form, MAKE SURE it is viewable). You can make your upload 'unlisted' so that only those w/ the URL can see it. ALSO: submissions should be regular HD video, NOT a YouTube Short.
  9. Go to online Submission Form

Fall 2024 Awards

Elementary division

Best Film: Heckler by August
Best Acting: Squabble by Ashlynn
Runner-Up, Best Creativity: Sloth by Elliot

Honorable Mentions:
Demented by Kyleigh and Emory
Knead by Olivia
Gory by Juilette
Sarcasm by Teagan
Bicker by Shiloh
Bombastic by Ava, Callie and Addy
Aviary by Kendall
Buffoonery by Sophia and Violet
Waffle by Emory
Gamble by Conor

Intermediate Division

Best Film, Best Cinematogaphy, Best Effects: Cosmic by Jameston, Liam and Tiago
Runner-Up: Delete by Emilee
Third Place: Relic by Lane, Hunter and Grant
Best Acting: Buffoonery by Aj, RJ, Gabe, Jacob, Hayden

Honorable Mentions:
Nexxus by Jonathan and Alex
Offensive by Moses and Ethan

High School Division

Best Film and Cinematography: Disconsolate by Cora
Runner-Up, Best Acting: Regicide by Kate, Willow and Leah
Third Place: Ragamuffin by Abby, Annie and Ali
Best Creativity: Stoke by Keating and Jude
Best Comedy: Niggle by Valentin, Brady and Cooper

Honorable Mentions: 
Addiction by Mahnya, Reagan and Trynadee
Random by Caleb, Will and Asa
Determination by Gabe, Tyler and Izzy
Potent by Kobie, Riley and Izaiah
Monotony by Tia, Kalvin and Braeden
Lank by Ben and Luciano
Cringe by JoRenee and Makeysa
Rabid by Yuri, Noah and Ari
Feign by Maggie and Katie
Bombastic by London and Abby

Radford University Division

Best Film and Best Cinematography: Browse by Jaron Lemke
Runner-Up and Best Effects: Dismember by Alexandra Rodriguez
Third Place: Transition by Gabrielle Parton
Best Creativity (TIE):
Discombobulated by Benjamin Goldfeder, William Leary, Taylor May, Jessica Groft, Christian Clampett
Transition by Gabrielle Parton
Best Acting: Elaborate by Sam Wilner and Forrest McConnell

Honorable Mentions:

Anamalous by Finley Thomas
Buffoonery by Caitlyn Gordeon
Chaotic by Olivia Stroud
Obsessive by Emily Gonyea, Jeremy Metzel, Anisa Tan and Harmoni Brown

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