Young filmmakers eager to see their work on a screen bigger than YouTube will get the opportunity in April, when Cal State Monterey Bay holds its third annual Teen Film Festival.

The Teledramatic Arts and Technology Department is accepting applications for the festival, which will be held at CSUMB's World Theater on April 9. Entries can be submitted online at montereybayfilmfestival.com by Feb. 11.

Filmmakers between 13 and 19 years old are invited to submit films and videos up to five minutes in length. Entries may be in English or Spanish and there is no entry fee.

TAT students will organize the event and handle the judging, according to Professor Enid Baxter Blader.

"It's an educational experience for our students, who want to go out in the world and have their films screened in film festivals. A great way to understand that process is to curate a film festival," Blader said.

CSUMB also hopes the festival will serve as a way to interest local teens who might not have considered going to college. By inviting them to campus and showing them what the university offers, they may consider enrolling.

While local teenagers are encouraged to enter the competition, it's also open to teenagers from around the world.

Last year's event drew more than 200 entries; films were submitted from the Central Coast region as well as Great Britain, El Salvador and Armenia. Some of last year's entries can be viewed online at montereybayfilmfestival.com.

The teen festival is part of the larger Monterey Bay Film Festival. MBFF will also feature three programs curated by Mike Plante. Mike is an associate programmer of the Sundance Film Festival, and curates many other festivals internationally. This will be Mike's second year as the programmer of the Monterey Bay Film Festival.

Focused on independent short films with innovative technologies, the events and web festival introduce Monterey Bay’s unique opportunities for the film industry.