Of course! In fact, so much of the FÍS methodology is about the process rather than about the product. We encourage all teachers to start small initially and then, when both pupils and teacher are more confident, to consider going the final mile and producing a film. But it’s certainly not necessary to enter the Festival. Some fantastic learning takes place in schools without a film necessarily coming to fruition.

This website has a comprehensive bank of Teachers Resources. Before you begin we suggest you review the Lesson Plans available for live-action film making in the primary classroom and also the stop motion animation making too. Both have a Teachers’ Guide to help get you started and give you an overview of the lesson contents so you’ll be a step ahead of your pupils

FÍS is very much about the children being at the centre of the film-making process and, as their teacher, you’re expected to guide them. It’s not necessary to be very technical. Familiarity with some simple technology and software will suffice. We recommend you review the Teacher Resources in the first instance so that you and your pupils have a good foundation to work from. The lessons are provided in a step-by-step order from coming up with story ideas, to the shoot, and post-production work. Everything you need is available to guide you and your pupils through the process. The lessons can be revisited at any stage for reference.

The online FÍS Teacher Resources  are well designed individual lesson plans which can be used in isolation or as a complete course. The course outlines all the skills and activities involved in making a film with the emphasis being on the children being the creators/doers, and the teacher as the facilitator of the learning. In terms of CPD options you can also approach your Local Education Centre and ask if any face-to-face support sessions are taking place in your locality. Alternatively, if other teachers in your school are interested in FÍS filmmaking (stop motion, live-action or general digital storytelling) and considering implementing it in their classrooms, PDST Technology in Education may fund a whole school Summer Course (a minimum of 10 participants is required) or may be able to offer in-person support directly to you at your school. To apply for bespoke CPD in this area visit pdst.ie/schoolsupport and enter the school roll number and password, which would have been sent to your school. For further information please contact Michelle Herron at 01 700 8200 or E: michelle.herron@oide.ie

FÍS helps develop active learning, creative thinking, language, imagination, collaborative learning and problem-solving skills, as well as giving children hands-on experience of using technology as part of the filmmaking process. For children this project provides them with an outlet to express themselves and showcase their talents in an educational but non-academic way which can do wonders for children's confidence and attitude towards learning.

The FÍS methodology enables teachers to embed creativity and digital technologies in a cross-curricular way in their classrooms. FÍS Film Project was cited as an exemplar of the creative use of technology in the Dept. of Education’s Digital Strategy for schools and will be an exemplar of innovative practice in the forthcoming strategy. FÍS also underpins the aims of the Dept. of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media and the Department of Education, Arts in Education Charter and the Creative Ireland programme.

No registration is required. Follow us Twitter @FisFilm Instagram @fisfilmproject + Twitter @PDST_TechinEd to keep informed of all things FÍS! Where we post regular updates, important deadlines, new competition announcements, as well as posting at www.fisfilmproject.ie

You can enter on OR before the last Friday of June each year – at 5pm sharp! Please enter your film(s) via our online portal at the COMPETITION page. The portal is open each year immediately after the return to school post-Easter.

The maximum duration for a film is 5 minutes but shorter films are acceptable too. Credits can be extra, i.e. beyond the max. duration. For full details please review our Rules & Guidelines available HERE.

The use of copyrighted material (images, music, audio, video) without appropriate written consent will mean automatic disqualification.  We recommend you review our Rules & Guidelines available HERE. Please check out the PDST Technology in Education recording of a recently held workshop ‘Selecting and Using Copyright Free Resources for Digital Storytelling’ – it’s a great guide to this important area.

Discussing copyright material and issues is a great learning opportunity for your pupils. They will develop an understanding of this issue and discover how to find creative commons copyright free material or to create original material to include in their film.  Please note a common mistake is for schools to enter films with the children or choir singing or playing an existing song or piece of music but once this is synched to a video it is considered a copyright infringement. Another issue arises when schools choose to use classical music, thinking it is out of copyright but the recording used may have been recent and is therefore not permitted by law /you tube and other hosting platforms. We don’t want you to be disappointed if your entry is disqualified because of a simple misunderstanding so creative commons is the best way to avoid that. 

Any class from Junior Infants through to 6^th class, mixed class categories, multi-grade, etc can participate in FÍS. Once the film is made by the school children with the teacher facilitating then it meets out criteria.  For full details please review our Rules & Guidelines available HERE.

Firstly, films must meet the criteria for entry as outlined in the Rules & Guidelines available HERE. When reviewing eligible films submitted for the awards, judges will consider the following:

• Imagination and creativity
• Originality of the story
• Curricular relevance (with an obvious subject/strand/unit being addressed)
• Support of pupils’ literacy and/or numeracy skills development
• Excellence in set design, costume design, film direction, film production, the use of sound, acting, cinematography, etc
• Excellence in the art of storytelling
• Excellence in the use of special techniques, e.g., animation or special effects
• Excellence in visual interpretation of a story or concept

Shortlisting takes place over a number of days of FÍS Film judging. Shortlisted films/schools are invited to the annual national FÍS Film Awards Ceremony. All entrants will be notified of the outcome of their entry by mid-September of the year of entry.  Please ensure you use an email address that is regularly checked and check junk mail too.

Of course! In fact, so much of the FÍS methodology is about the process rather than about the competition. However, we encourage all Dept. of Education primary schools to enter our annual FÍS Film Awards competition and teachers tell us that it provides the necessary motivation to get to the ‘Final Cut’ before the June deadline each year. BTW: we love to see newcomers entering FÍS, that’s why we have a Best Newcomer Award each year!

The FÍS Film Project is an initiative of the Department of Education in a collaborative partnership between the Institute of Art, Design & Technology’s FÍS Office and the Professional Development Service for Teachers (Technology in Education Dept.)

FÍS is the Irish word for vision and an acronym for ‘Film in Schools’. The project started during the 1999/2000 school year. The FÍS methodology supports teachers to introduce film making in a cross-curricular way into their primary school classroom. After a successful 3-year pilot, the project was mainstreamed and the annual national FÍS Film Awards Competition was also launched and remains a highly successful outcome of the FÍS Film Project to this day.

Shortlisted films are showcased and celebrated in front of a national audience of over 900 in the Helix Theatre, Dublin each year at the annual FÍS Film Awards Ceremony. The awards seek to celebrate creativity, imagination, originality, special techniques such as animation or special effects and excellence both in front of and behind the camera. 

The awards ceremony is a unique collaboration between first and third level education working together. Students from IADT’s National Film School, MA in Broadcast Production for Radio & TV programme are responsible for the live broadcasting and filming of the ceremony.  The event is also streamed live via the FÍS Film Project website courtesy of the National Education & Research network, HEAnet. Follow us Twitter @FisFilm Instagram @fisfilmproject + Twitter @PDST_TechinEd to keep informed of all things FÍS!

FÍS is very much about the children being at the centre of the film-making process and, as their teacher, you’re expected to guide them. It’s not necessary to be very technical. Familiarity with some simple programs will suffice. We recommend you review the FÍS Education Resources in the first instance so that you and your pupils have a foundation to work from.