Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) has officially been named a screening site for this year’s renowned Film Prize, part of the 2024 Prize Fest celebration. BPCC representatives, alongside the Prize Foundation, made the exciting announcement while also sharing details of the third annual Golden Lens Photography Competition.

Prize Fest 2024 is a five-day festival celebrating food, comedy, film, and music, beginning October 16 through 19 in Shreveport. Film Prize kicks off October 17 and will feature 20 short films, all shot in Louisiana, competing for the largest cash prize in the world for a short film—up to $50,000.

In addition to several theater venues in downtown Shreveport, festival goers will also have the unique opportunity to view the Top 20 films and cast their votes to help decide the best film at BPCC's Stephen W. Slaughter Theatre in Building C at the Bossier Campus, located at 6220 East Texas Street. 

Dr. Rick Bateman, Jr., Chancellor of BPCC, expressed his excitement for this year’s collaboration: “We are thrilled to partner with the Prize Foundation again in 2024 and can’t wait to welcome film lovers to our BPCC campus for Film Prize. The creativity and talent showcased through the Prize Fest are truly remarkable, and we’re honored to play a part in this celebration of local filmmaking.”

Other news announced at the press conference is the return of the Battle for the Golden Fork, a Chopped-style competition that the BPCC Culinary Arts program and students will assist with this year. Food Prize will officially kick off Prize Fest 2024 on Wednesday, October 16 with the return of Come and Get It, a food and beverage experience like no other.

This year, Come & Get It will showcase six incredible tastings created by competing chef teams. Each team will be comprised of one local Golden Fork finalist chef and one visiting celebrity chef. At the end of Come and Get It, three local chefs will be voted into the Battle for the Golden Fork, a Chopped-style competition that will take place in Prize Fest’s Festival Central at 3pm on October 19. The Battle is free and open to the public. The winner of the battle will be crowned the Golden Fork champion and walk away with $5000 grand cash prize and the coveted Golden Fork Trophy.

BPCC returns as a partner with the Golden Lens Photography Competition, which has quickly become a staple of Prize Fest. Sponsored by the BPCC Foundation, the Golden Lens competition invites photographers of all skill levels, from beginners to professionals, to capture the vibrant spirit of Shreveport and Bossier City. Up to 30 photographs will be selected for an exhibition by a jury panel, with one winning the 2024 Golden Lens First Place Award and a $1,000 cash prize.

Festival attendees will also have the chance to vote for their favorite image for the coveted People’s Choice Award at the Golden Lens Reception, held during the Film Prize 2024 kick-off event in January 2025.

Gregory Kallenberg, Executive Director of the Prize Foundation and Founder of Film, Music, and Food Prize, shared his enthusiasm for the growing importance of photography within the festival: "Golden Lens has quickly become an essential part of Prize Fest, and we deeply appreciate BPCC continuing to support it. We hope that everyone will pick up a camera and be a part of this incredibly inclusive portion of the best film, music, food, comedy, and now photography festival on planet earth."

Submissions for the Golden Lens competition will be open from September 28 through October 20. Click here for the official rules and to read more about Golden Lens.

Click here for the complete Prize Fest 2024 schedule and to purchase passes to this year’s events.

Watch the press conference on YouTube.