About the Mason Film Festival
The annual Mason Film Festival at George Mason University features the work of Film and Video Studies (FAVS) students.
Our event is free and open to the public. We invite students to bring their family and friends, and encourage representatives of local companies and organizations, as well as community members, to attend.
Registration is required for each day of the festival. More information coming soon. See important information below regarding the Advanced Fiction Filmmaking Showcase ticketing. Following this Showcase on Saturday, May 9, an Awards Ceremony will reveal winners of Academic Awards as well as Emerging Filmmaker Awards assessed by a jury comprised of FAVS alumni.
We look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Mason Film Festival.
Senior students during the post-screening Q&A with Professor Ben Steger
Accessibility:
George Mason University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for its services, programs, and activities. Please make accommodation requests related to a disability by contacting the Film Program (film@gmu.edu) at least one week prior to the event.
In order to ensure accessibility for all audiences, all films screened at the Festival feature open captions (captioning featured on screen).
2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the Film and Video Studies Program (FAVS at 20). The celebration will take place during the Mason Film Festival. A variety of alumni events and activities will include an online alumni showcase, masterclasses, panels, and a reception during the Awards Ceremony.
Calling All Alumni
Alumni, review the following information to see how you can participate.
Update Your Information: Fill out this short form with updated contact information and tell us how you want to be involved with Film and Video Studies in the future.
Send Photos: Email us at film@gmu.edu with the subject line, "My FAVS Memories." Please identify people who appear in the photo(s), as well as a description of the activity in the photo(s). We will be compiling the photographs into a slideshow during the 20th Anniversary schedule of events and posting them on our social media channels.
Submit Your Film: We are hosting an Online Alumni Showcase from April 27 – May 3, 2026, via Mason Arts Amplified. Please submit a film to FilmFreeway: it may be any film you’ve made (or any film on which you’ve worked or collaborated) through our online submission portal here.
The submission period closes on March 6, 2026.
Please check that your submission includes the following information and requirements:
Video and Thumbnail Specifications
Video File Specs
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Resolution: 1920x1080
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File Type: MOV (.mov) or MPEG-4 (.mp4), encoded as H.264 (no ProRes)
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Bit Rate: 10-20 Mbps
Thumbnail Image Specs
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File Type: PNG (.png) or JPEG (.jpg)
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Resolution: 1920x1080 (horizontal)
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Detail: Image only, no text/title
Video Info Requirements
Please include the following video information with your submission:
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Logline (100-150 characters, including spaces)
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Alumni filmmaker name, film role
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Alumni filmmaker graduation info (degree, year)
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Alumni filmmaker website or social media page (choose one)
Introducing our Storefront
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Film and Video Studies celebration, we have t-shirts available on our storefront.
Important Information for the Advanced Fiction Filmmaking Showcase
Saturday, May 9
Check-In
Registration is required. When you arrive at the Harris Theatre, please check in at the registration table. You will receive a wristband that denotes your ability to enter the Theatre for the event. Wristbands must be worn at all times in order to enter or exit and re-enter the Theatre.
Please be in your seat at the start of the Showcase screening. Any empty seats will be made available to attendees on our waitlist.
Support Scholarships
Each year, Film at Mason awards scholarships to senior students at the Mason Film Festival. These scholarships are made possible through your contributions. Seniors use these scholarships to cover their film production costs.
Whatever the size of your gift, you can make a difference in the lives of our filmmakers.
FAVS faculty and the Cortez family pictured with the Jason Cortez Award winners: James Bah, Patrice Pannell, and Erica Worthington.
The Jason Cortez Award recognizes exemplary Film and Video Studies students who have volunteered their time to the Program. They are dedicated to building community, collaborating with others, and creating impactful work. Established this year, the award is named in honor of 2015 alum Jason Cortez and is made possible by the generosity of Candelario and Reyna Cortez, Jason’s parents.
Thank You to Our Film and Video Studies Supporters from 2025
(January 1, 2024 - April 15, 2025)
Producer ($2,500 and above)
Candelario and Reyna Cortez
Estate of Frank William Johns
Clara and John Kelly
Willy Meaux
Director ($1,000 - $2,499)
Anonymous
Dr. Joy R. Hughes and Mr. Kenneth Lee
Leading Role ($100-999)
Anonymous
L. Whitman Brown
G. Chesler
Rick Davis and Julie Thompson
Michael J. Howard
Cynthia and Thomas Judge
Maryam and Hamid Kasmai
Mack and Paulette Miller
Supporting Role (up to $99)
Julia Decker
Ms. Melissa J. Houghton
Michael and Susan Kehoe
Emily and Bill Rusch
Ronald J. Sanchez
Michael and Amanda Snellings
2025 Graduates receiving their official Film at Mason pins during the Awards Ceremony.
Directions
To get to Harris Theatre:
Harris Theatre (#28 on the campus map) is located across from the Mason Pond Parking Deck. The closest parking is in Mason Pond Parking Deck (4500 Aquia Creek Lane, Fairfax, VA 22030), which has hourly rates.
Alternative and free parking can be found in any General Lot on campus. Lots J and K are the General Lots closest to Harris Theatre. Please see the campus map to view General Lot locations.
To get to JC Bistro:
After the Mason Film Festival, join us in the JC Bistro for our Mason Film Festival Awards Celebration. The JC Bistro is located in the Johnson Center, across from Harris Theatre. As you enter the Johnson Center, you will be on the main floor. Find the elevators, located in both halls near the Information Desk, and go down to the Ground Floor. The JC Bistro will be past Starbucks and across from WGMU Radio.