Open to ages 12-18, Luminescence has traditionally been an international teen film festival highlighting local teens in Palo Alto, but for the 2nd year in a row, we will be opening up the local submissions and turning our festival into a celebration of teen filmmakers around the greater San Francisco Bay Area!
Luminescence 2024!
2024 Luminescence Nominees
Stranger
Julia Hayden Fung (16), Los Altos High School
Santa Clara County
A film that shows the experience of lost relationships through the eyes of a young girl. "Stranger" is a story of love, loss, and the regret through passing of time.
When The House Burns
Catherine Wan (17), California Crosspoint High School
Alameda County
Two lovers struggling to find common ground as they revert to cycles of addiction - they must learn to love each other again.
Two Girls One Stolen Gun
Allison Crick (17), Branham High School
Santa Clara County
This is a chase sequence, where a cowgirl is trying to catch another cowgirl who stole her gun.
Bricked
Lukas Leu (16), Santa Clara High School
Santa Clara County
A girl named Andrea finds a mysterious watch that turns anything into LEGO, with just a touch.
Midnight
Kylee O’Brien (17), Saratoga High School
Santa Clara County
Film follows a scientist who is part of the Manhattan Project as he aids in the creation of the atomic bomb used on Japan for the end of WWII, it depicts the emotional struggles the scientist goes through as he creates a bomb without realizing how many people will be killed from it.
Shell
Paavo Lahdesmaki (18), Los Altos High School
Santa Clara County
A man is haunted in his own home, and he must go face to face with himself.
Half Return
Matilde Smith (17), Ruth Asawa School of the Arts
San Francisco County
Estranged sisters find connection through confrontations by memories of childhood.
Reminiscence
Sophia Pestoni (17), Woodside High School
San Mateo County
A informative coming of age film that drives into the positives and negatives that come and go with every age, emphasizing living in the present and all the wonderful things that come with it.
Voice of Water
Noah Molina (18), University of California, Berkeley
Alameda County
A concept short film about Leka, a mute island girl who after watching news of the devastating Maui fires instigating tragedy within her home, receives a mental visit from the four central Hawaiian Gods who help change her perspective of life.
Ramp Up
Pablo Schettino Gonzalez (18), Gunn High School
Santa Clara County
A comedic narrative short of a kid’s idea of becoming a BMX biker and overcoming childhood trauma.
My Father’s Daughter
Maya-Rose Grandy (17), Silicon Valley Career Technical Education
Santa Clara County
In light of an absence from her 18th birthday, Adrienne reflects on her relationship with her vacant father.
Movin’ Out
Jonny Baker (18), Piedmont Hills High School
Santa Clara County
A timeless story told from the sound and music of Billy Joel through the lens of Jonny Baker. Movin' Out is a coming-of-age story, where a young man has to leave home and figure out his own life.
Portrait of My Oakland
Kayen Manovil (17), Berkeley High School
Alameda County
A depiction of Oakland in its many beauties and flaws through the eyes of the director.
Intellectuals
Eloise Dumas (17), Palo Alto High School
Santa Clara County
Two teens discuss next steps in their relationship.
Run
Sophia Warder (17), Silicon Valley Career Technical Education
Santa Clara County
A woman goes grocery shopping, where she finds a poster saying a killer is on the loose. A mysterious man lingers around her, and she cautiously leaves the store. The man follows her, and a chase between them ensues. In this case, things aren't always what they seem.
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A Mexican in Japan
Jose Soreque (16), Silicon Valley Career Technical Education
Santa Clara County
A parody and homage to Cantinflas and Charlie Chaplin where Juan needs to fight for his life after accidentally getting a sensei mad.
Fear La Chancia
Angie Wells (16), Silicon Valley Career Technical Education
Santa Clara County
Chase Sequence Project- A kid breaks the window of their house by accident and is chased around town by their Mama to be disciplined.
YEE-HAW
Eli Tsives (18), Santa Clara County Saratoga High School
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Typo
Clara Chiu (17), San Mateo County Woodside High School
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You Matter
Sophia Pestoni (16), San Mateo County Woodside High School
Our 2023 Winners!
2023 Luminescence Nominees
i stood up too fast
Saif Khalid (18), San Francisco County San Francisco State University
An experimental short film based on the sensation of standing up too fast.
Warning: Flashing lights
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My House is Mine
Kaiya Jordan (17), Alameda County Berkeley High School
A young girl reflects on her past while looking into a dollhouse. Pairing childhood nostalgia with the fear of growing up and time passing too quickly, My House is Mine is an encapsulation of family dynamics and their impact on the young mind.
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Watch Me
Daniel Pan (17), Santa Clara County Henry M. Gunn High School
An amateur filmmaker faces the harsh reality of the culture in the Bay Area: studying film is risky and useless. He traverses through obstacles including comments from his friends and family until he makes his final decision. Filmmaking or not filmmaking?
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Return of the Milpitas Monster
Jonny Baker (17), Santa Clara County Piedmont Hills High School
A big 50 foot monster attacks the small town of Milpitas but who better to stop the monster then a group of kids and a mayor with some screws loose.
Warning: Substance use, blood, on screen death
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Tangled Hearts
Kaiya Jordan (17), Alameda County Berkeley High School
Set in a world where husbands and wives are connected at birth by a red string, two girls navigate their growing feelings for each other.
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Moolnight Fantasy
Aidan Venneman (18), Santa Clara County Henry M. Gunn High School
At a recital, a pianist looks back on his relationships and the sacrifices he’s made for his art.
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Mother's Soup
James Kim (18), Santa Clara County Henry M. Gunn High School
This was a personal 2D animation I made with my brother in order to produce a heartfelt story. I was incharge of all the visual development and animation asset building. When it came to the story, we were inspired by Pixar shorts like Bao and Ratatouille. Our film was about a grown man searching to recreate a recipe from his childhood that his mother could only make, desperately testing ingredients while reminiscing over the past. In the process I used the softness and sharpness of shapes and line edges in characters to convey personalities that an audience would understand and sympathize with. It was an early attempt at character design, which was especially important since there was little to no dialogue. I designed all of the 2D assets and compiled them in after effects and editing software. To this day I still feel very confident in the emotion it evokes, both sad and happy.
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YEE-HAW
Eli Tsives (18), Santa Clara County Saratoga High School
A man living in a modern world where he suffers from a mental illness believing everyone around him, counting himself, are living in the wild west.
Warning: Blood, on screen death
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Oleg Hoffman
Eli Tsives (18), Santa Clara County Saratoga High School
After a Jewish Soviet soldier experiences the loss of his best friend, he moves to America in hopes of a better life; only to be bombarded by more antisemitism.
Warning: Blood, on screen death, substance use
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Typo
Clara Chiu (17), San Mateo County Woodside High School
A frustrated student writing a creative story for class discovers a spectacular power: anything they type comes to life. However, as they begin to take advantage of their newfound ability, the consequences of their greed quickly catches up.
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For Charlie
Isabel Wright (17), San Mateo County Carlmont High School
Three friends find light in the recent death of their best friend, Charlie, by adventuring with a summer bucket list that Charlie made before he passed
Warning: Grief
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God
Isaiah Johnson (17), Alameda County Oakland School for the Arts
2 characters, one the personification of religion, the other the personification of atheism argue about their beliefs.
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Alone with Myself
Jonny Baker (17), Santa Clara County Piedmont Hills High School
A twilight’s zone style episode taking place in the 1950s about a young girl wakes up to find she is the only one left.
Warning: Violence, flashing lights, on screen death
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Antibiotic Resistance
Kylee O'Brien (16), Santa Clara County Saratoga High School
Documentary that brings awareness to the problem of antibiotic resistance, what it is and how to solve it.
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An Occurrence at Owl Airport
Henry Gillette (16), Alameda County the Athenian School
Based off the classic short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce, this modern adaptation brings a new level of interest to the aging story.
Warning: Blood
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You Matter
Sophia Pestoni (16), San Mateo County Woodside High School
The protagonist struggles with art inspiration ever since she has lost her friend in the past year due to suicide. She visits her grave often and thinks about her alot. She finally gets some inspiration which shows the audience that everyone belongs and matters, and that there are always people there to love, help, and support you.
Warning: Grief
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A Stitch in Time
Eloise Dumas & Leonardo Vargha (16), Santa Clara County Palo Alto High School
It tells the story of a failing relationship through a series of flashbacks, each meant to show one of the seven deadly sins.
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Rejuvenation
Max Yu (15), Santa Clara County The Kings Academy
A boy named Max discovered his true passion that he had been searching for for a long time.