2024 Entry Period Is Closed — Thank You For Your Submissions!

The 2024 Best of the Midwest Media Fest entry period has closed. Judges will soon be evaluating the work of amateurs and professionals from around the Alliance for Community Media Midwest Region: Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska! Thank you for your submissions and good luck!

The Basics

• WCM members need a password to get the member discount. Click the green MemberLogin button at the top right of this website page and log in. When on the member home page, click on the FilmFreeway logo to get the password.

• Programs need to be distributed by a PEG media center, but they do not have to be produced with a PEG center’s facilities.

• All programs must have debuted through an outlet (Cable, Facebook, Apple TV, Roku, etc. ) used by a PEG (public, education, government) cable access center.

• Program producers must reside in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska or Kansas.

• You can be an amateur producer or a professional producer. New This Year! You can enter as an amateur if you have never earned more than $15,000 per year from video or radio production.

• Producers working through a Wisconsin Community Media member media center get the membership rate when they enter, but you or the media center you work with does not need to be a member of WCM or ACM to enter the Fest.

• You can enter “virtual” programs again this year. These are evaluated on different criteria.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Purpose of the Fest

To recognize the outstanding video and radio programs that are produced by Midwestern professionals and amateurs who use PEG media centers or low-power FM stations to produce and/or distribute their programming. The Fest also seeks to encourage excellence in community programming by providing constructive feedback on each program entered.

Judging

At least 13 four-person judging panels evaluate the entries. Typically, our judging panels review about 200 entries.

Professional Entries: Two community media center staff and two media professionals, who work outside the access television field, judge the professional entries.

Amateur Entries: Two community media center staff and two community access producers with several years of experience judge the amateur entries.

LPFM radio entries: Two community media center staff whose centers operate LPFM radio stations and two judges drawn from the professional radio field.

Judges are needed! Please contact the WCM Executive Director at exec@wisconsincommunitymedia.com if you want to judge this year. All judge slots plus a few extras, need to be filled by the first week of January, 2024. We need amateur community producers, PEG media professionals, LPFM radio amateurs, radio professionals, and media professionals (of any kind) working outside the PEG field to make up our judging panels. Each panel typically views between 12 - 15 programs.

Judging Guidelines explain how to score entries. To be certain all judges understand the scoring system and understand how to use the Film Freeway platform, they are given a brief Quiz prior to receiving programs to view. Judges must have access to a computer and the Internet to view and score programs. Judges have four weeks — from Monday, January 29 through Monday, February 26 — to judge programs on their own time.

Eligibility

To qualify, producers must reside in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska or Kansas and video programming must have premiered in one of these states on a PEG (public, education, or government) cable access channel or on another outlet managed by a PEG media center including a website, OTT site, or social media app in calendar year 2023. LPFM radio programs must have debuted on an LPFM radio station or a podcast sponsored by an LPFM radio station operating in one of the Midwestern states listed above. The LPFM radio station does NOT need to be associated with a PEG access center.

Entry Levels

Amateur: The program is mostly created by and mostly reflects the technical expertise of individuals who have never earned more than $15,000 per year from video production. Amateurs may elect to be judged as professionals.

Professional: The program is mostly created by and mostly reflects the technical expertise of individuals who currently earn or have in the past earned more than $15,000 per year in the video or (in the case of a radio entry) radio field.

If you have any doubts about the entry level to enter, you can contact the Fest.

Show is on May 16 in Eau Claire!

The Media Fest Show featuring the top winning entries will be held on Thursday evening May 16 at the Lismore Hotel in Eau Claire in conjunction with our two-day conference co-sponsored by the Midwest Region of the Alliance for Community Media and Wisconsin Community Media. Tickets are $50.

Recognition Levels

To explain the recognition levels, we borrow from the Olympics.

Excellence Award. The equivalent of a “Gold Medal.” This award is bestowed on entries that demonstrate a highly creative, well-crafted and very effective approach to the subject matter. Typically the top 15% - 20% of entries.

Achievement Award. The equivalent of a “Silver Medal.” Programs achieving this level are well-crafted and effective in conveying their message. Last year, 52 programs reached this level of recognition.

Merit Award. The equivalent of a “Bronze Medal.” Programs achieving a Merit Award demonstrate a proficiency in their craft and a solid presentation of the subject matter.

Not all producers receive one of these awards, but typically three-quarters of our entries do.

Best in Show: A program may also receive a Best in Show Award if it earns the top score in a Subject Category (see Subject Categories below) and it scores high enough to qualify for a Merit, Achievement, or Excellence Award.

Significant Community Program Award: This is an honor bestowed on programs upon nomination from the manager of a media center and approval by the Conference Committee. See more below.

Notification of Award/No Award

Award notifications will be emailed to producers at the email address provided on the Entry Form. Emails will be sent to all producers who entered the fest, including those who did not win an award. Please look for an email from the Fest the first week of March.

Entry Categories, Significant Community Programs and Subject Categories

Entry Categories (CLICK ME!)

All Entry Categories are open to both radio and video programs.

All programs must have premiered either on cable TV or an LPFM radio station or podcast unless the Entry Category has an asterisk (*). If an Entry Category has an asterisk (*), it may have also premiered on a website, a social media platform, or an OTT site.

If an Entry Category has a (“V”), feel free to enter “virtual” versions of these programs. “Virtual programs” or Zoom-type programs will be judged differently.

Subject Categories (CLICK ME!)

Besides an Entry Category, you also enter your program in one Subject Category that best applies to your program. Each top-scoring Amateur and Professional entry in each Subject category is awarded a “Best in Show.” Only programs receiving a Merit, Achievement, or Excellence Award will be considered for the “Best in Show” award.

Significant Community Program Honors (CLICK ME!)

These programs do not go through the judging process but pay the same entry fee.  WCM’s intent is to generate broad recognition for important programs produced through community access centers or LPFM stations.  Media Center managers should nominate a show for a Significant Community Program Award if it has generated a significant community impact. The Conference Committee approves the selection after reviewing the letter in support of the nomination and watching the program.

Either amateur or professionally-produced shows may be recommended.  Contact your community media center manager if you would like your center to consider submitting your program for this award.

Scoring and Feedback from Judges

Judges score every entry on nine criteria. Judges also provide producers with comments on their program. The fest prides itself on providing producers with solid feedback so that entering the fest becomes a growth experience for all producers. After all four judges score the program, the highest and lowest scores are discarded and the two middle scores are averaged to create the final score on which awards are based.

Producers receive both the judge numeric feedback and written comments about their entries from each judge. This information is also provided to the media center. Media Centers and Producers are encouraged to pick up the Judge Feedback Sheets at the Banquet and Show held in May.

Judging Criteria

The following table shows how programs are judged. Programs are given a score of 1 – 10 for each of these criteria. The chart shows how each criterion is weighted. Criteria are weighted differently for professional and amateur entries, meeting coverage, animation and programs that were produced using virtual meeting tools like Zoom. Radio shows and podcasts are scored using criteria tailored to the medium.

Plaques, Statuettes, and Certificates

Producers may choose to purchase plaques, statuettes, or receive a free certificate for their award-winning shows.  Online order forms will be available on the WCM website.  These awards will be presented at the Media Fest Banquet and Show.  If a producer is not able to attend the show and no one is available to pick up their items for them, WCM can package and mail plaques and statuettes. 

Use of Your Program by WCM/Sharing Your Program

By entering the Fest, you agree to allow WCM to use stills and footage from your video to promote PEG and the Fest on the WCM website, social media channels and WCM’s YouTube Channel.  Whenever possible, WCM will use your URL.

Judges will also determine whether or not your program is “shareable.” If three out of four judges believe your program would be a good program for other communities to air, it will be noted on your judging form. Shareable programs are included on the WCM website for members to learn about and consider picking up.

Questions?

Contact the WCM Executive Director at exec@wisconsincommunitymedia.com or at 608-215-5594.