Talented Lakeland Regional High School students submitted films to and took home two awards from the The Passaic County Film Festival, a fun annual event that took place on April 16, 2025 at PCCC Public Safety Academy in Wayne.

Senior Fiona Clutterbuck shares that Lakeland took home second and third place in the music video category. LRHS’ films, created in the school’s video program, stood out for their originality and technical skills. Lancers impressed both the judges and the audience, earning well deserved recognition.

The event gives students and local filmmakers from all around NJ the opportunity to share their work to the public. The festival is hosted by the Passaic County Film Commision and continues to gain popularity every year.

The festival is a perfect opportunity for everyone and anyone to display their creativity and abilities. After all films are submitted, they are voted on, and the best ones are shown at the festival. In addition to the film screening, the festival often includes Q&A sessions with the filmmakers, providing insights into their creative process and challenges they faced during production. These discussions offer valuable learning opportunities for aspiring filmmakers.

For many young filmmakers, this festival is their opportunity to present their work to more people or a bigger audience. This can give many artists more confidence and allow them to get the right critiquing they need to keep excelling in what they love. It’s a chance to get more involved, more opinions, different perspectives, and just help overall.

As the festival continues, it continues to grow and gain more popularity. Each year, more people enter their films in hopes of spreading their creations. Whether you are a filmmaker or not it’s a great opportunity to get out there and support each other while watching films. We look forward to seeing more Lancer’s work highlighted there in the future.