Word Festival

 CITL, along with campus and community partners, hosted the tenth annual Fall 2025 Word Festival throughout the month of October. See below to read guidelines, submit entries and see the winning films. Big thanks to our alumni judges Trae D. Price and Shakis Moore!

About Word Festival

The Word Festival contest involves students making short, live-action videos (20 seconds or less) in which they express the meaning of a particular word to the viewer. Words are derived from an archived list of the New York Times Word Of The Day [PDF], and definitions must be derived and cited from Merriam-Webster Online, Cambridge Dictionary Online, or Dictionary.com.

In addition, there are Foreign Language and Medical categories for classes seeking discipline-specific words. Students participating in those areas use one of the resources listed below, or other authoritative source. Rules are the same, see guidelines below for specifics and an example video. Students in both tiers can choose to participate in the main category or the foreign language category:

• Collins Dictionary - multiple foreign language translation features.
• Word Reference - multiple foreign language translation features.
• Merrian Webster Medical - online medical dictionary.

Guidelines and Submission

Participation guidelines are below, they are short and simple - READ CAREFULLY!

1. Videos must be no more than 20 seconds
2. Video must be original and live-action (can have additional elements).
3. Each word must be displayed, pronounced and defined, and the part of speech given.
4. For words in a language other than English: the language should be given and the word should be displayed and pronounced in the language. Provide an English translation of the definition (subtitles may be used).
5. If there are several definitions, the first one is fine (though a second or third definition could be used as well).
6. Use your imagination. You can act the word out, dramatize it, use puppets, draw, sing a song, create a dance, write a skit, incorporate photographs, use claymation, stop-motion, or anything else that will help viewers understand and learn your word.
7. Commercially produced media and stock footage are not permitted.
8. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube.com to be considered (participants will provide the URL in the submission form, MAKE SURE it is viewable). You can make your upload 'unlisted' so that only those w/ the URL can see it. ALSO: submissions should be regular HD video, NOT a YouTube Short.
9. Go to online Submission Form (will go live on Oct. 1, 2025)

Fall 2025 Awards

Elementary division

Best Film (tie): Tyrant by Teagan, Impenetrable by Jason
Runner-Up: Repetitive by Emory
Best Acting (tie): Dogmatic by August, Impenetrable by Jason
Best Creativity (tie): Onomatopoeia by Elliot, Repetitive by Emory
Best Effects (tie): Regal by Bailey, Onomatopoeia by Elliot

Honorable Mention: Levitate by Henry

Intermediate Division

Best Film: Felon by Cameron, Zac and Braden
Runner-Up: Hallucination by Morgan
Best Cinematogaphy: Felon by Cameron, Zac and Braden
Best Effects (tie): Felon by Cameron, Zac and Braden,  Hallucination by Morgan
Best Acting (tie): Felon by Cameron, Zac and Braden, Delusional by Meredith and Alli

High School Division

Best Film: Quibble by Olivia, Danielle and Kinsley
Runner-Up (tie): Purge by Nathan and Owen, Vigor by Sebastian Archbold
Best Acting (tie): Cantaknerous by Mackenzie, Quibble by Olivia, Danielle and Kinsley
Best Cinematography (tie): Quibble by Olivia, Danielle and Kinsley, Champion by Blake
Best Creativity: Vigor by Sebastian Archbold
Best Effects: Vigor by Sebastian Archbold

Honorable Mention: Crestfallen by Cora and Ben

Radford University Division

Best Film (tie): Outwit by Andrew Peck, Hydroponic by Kaylee Ligon
Runner-Up (tie): Festive by Adam Shepard, Stealth by Sam Wilner and Ethan Colabatistto
Best Cinematography: Hydroponic by Kaylee Ligon
Best Effects (tie): Hallucinate by Wyatt Gean, Anonymity by Grace James 
Third Place: Transition by Gabrielle Parton
Best Acting (tie): Klair Roark's Dog, Dogged, Stealth by Sam Wilner and Ethan Colabatistto
Honorable Mentions: Daily by Benjamin Hess