Multimedia Competition

Organized by the Franklin Education Foundation (FEF), the 2025 Multimedia Competition is a global platform that celebrates the creativity and cultural expression of middle and high school students. It invites young creators to explore meaningful narratives through writing, visual art, performance, and multimedia formats. The competition emphasizes the importance of storytelling in shaping identity, fostering empathy, and connecting individuals to the spaces they inhabit.

2025 Competition Theme

This year’s theme, “City Concerto: My Home, My City”, calls on students to express their personal connection to the urban environments that shape their lives. Whether through reflections on family neighborhoods, depictions of everyday city rhythms, or creative interpretations of cityscapes, participants are encouraged to share how their surroundings influence their sense of belonging, creativity, and vision for the future.

2025 Franklin Education Foundation Multimedia Competition opens to global students in grade 7-12.

2025 Multimedia Competition:

To successfully enter the 2025 Franklin Education Foundation Multimedia Competition, participants must submit two required components:

  1. Your Original Work:
    This is the main creative piece based on your chosen subcategory (e.g., a poem, short story, painting, animation, short film, music or dance performance, etc.). Each work should reflect this year's theme.

  2. Introductory Video (1–3 minutes):
    A short video where the student explains their creative process, the inspiration behind their work, and how it connects to the competition’s theme. This video helps judges understand the context and message of the submission.

Submission Limits and Format Requirements:

  • Entry Fee: $100 per submission.

  • Submission Limit: Students may submit one entry per subcategory only. For example, you can submit one poem under A3 – Poetry and one painting under B2 – Drawing/Painting, but not two entries under the same subcategory.

  • Language Requirement: All materials must be in 英语, or include accurate English subtitles if the original content is in another language.

Who Can Participate Multimedia Competition?

This competition is open to students worldwide in grades 7 through 12. It’s an ideal opportunity for students passionate about creative expression in the following areas:

  • Writing: Personal essays, fiction, and poetry

  • Visual Arts: Photography, drawing, painting

  • Media Arts: Animation, short film

  • Performing Arts: Music, dance, and theater

  • Multimedia Works: Any combination of mediums to tell your story

Whether you're a storyteller, a visual thinker, or a performing artist, this competition offers a platform to showcase your unique perspective.

Categories

A – Language & Creativity

This category encourages participants to explore their urban experiences through literary expression. It is ideal for students who enjoy writing with emotion, reflection, and imagination.

  • A1. Prose
    Craft a personal reflection exploring memories, emotions, and observations about your city. Topics may include your coming-of-age journey, changes in your neighborhood, or community stories that hold meaning for you. Emphasis is placed on sincerity, lyrical language, and sharp urban insight.

  • A2. Short Story
    Write a fictional story set in your city. Let your imagination unfold through invented characters and compelling plots that highlight city life—be it realistic, surreal, or fantastical. This subcategory blends storytelling with setting in meaningful ways.

  • A3. Poetry
    Use poetic forms—free verse, modern poetry, or traditional styles—to express your impressions of the city. Draw inspiration from sounds, sights, lights, and shadows. This subcategory rewards creativity in rhythm, imagery, and symbolic expression.

B – Visual & Media Arts 

This category is designed for visual storytellers who wish to convey cityscapes, urban culture, and personal experiences through images, motion, and multimedia formats.

  • B1. Photography
    Capture the essence of your city—its rhythm, texture, and humanity. Subjects may include street scenes, urban landscapes, architecture, light, or daily life. Both documentary and conceptual approaches are welcome.

  • B2. Drawing / Painting
    Depict your impressions of the city using traditional or digital tools. Media can include watercolor, acrylics, pencil, or digital illustration. Works may portray buildings, cultural landmarks, everyday interactions, or abstract representations of urban life.

  • B3. Animation
    Submit a short animated piece (2D, 3D, or stop-motion) that explores city-related themes, real or imagined. Content can range from documentary-style visual storytelling to whimsical, symbolic, or metaphorical narratives. Sound design is encouraged.

  • B4. Short Film
    Create a 6–8 minute original film that centers on the theme of urban life. Genres may include documentary, narrative, experimental, or hybrid formats. Your piece should present compelling perspectives on place, community, or personal experience within a city.

C – Performing Arts 

Performing arts submissions focus on movement, voice, and presence as tools to articulate the meaning of urban life. This category invites students with a flair for live or recorded performance.

  • C1. Theater
    Perform a short dramatic work—scripted play, physical theater, or dramatic reading—that reflects stories or themes from your city. Original or adapted works are acceptable. Focus on dramatic expression and spatial storytelling.

  • C2. Music
    Submit an original musical piece that reflects city-related emotions or narratives. Accepted forms include instrumental composition, vocal performance, sound collage, or music inspired by urban soundscapes and rhythms. You may incorporate field recordings or improvised sections.

  • C3. Dance
    Use choreography to explore your physical and emotional relationship with the city. Solo, duet, or group performances are all welcome. Express the pulse, structure, or fluidity of city life through movement, space, and rhythm.

Why participate in Multimedia Competition?

  • Enhance Your College Application Portfolio: Winning and selected entries will be showcased on Franklin Education Foundation and IvyMax platforms.
  • Creative Freedom: Choose your favorite medium to express your story.

  • Recognition: All participants receive an official certificate.

  • International Reach: Engage with a global community and gain visibility beyond your local circle.

Multimedia Competition Timeline

  • Submission Deadline: August 31, 2025
  • Judging Period: September 1–20, 2025

  • Winners Announcement: September 30, 2025

  • Award Ceremony: Fall 2025 (held in person at IvyMax Learning Center or virtually)


Multimedia Competition Prizes

  • First Prize: $300 gift card + $300 IvyMax course voucher + certificate

  • Second Prize: $200 gift card + $200 IvyMax course voucher + certificate

  • Third Prize: $100 gift card + $100 IvyMax course voucher + certificate

  • Audience Favorite: Determined by social media engagement (likes, shares)

Each entry will be reviewed by a panel of professionals using the following rubric:

  • Creativity & Originality: 30%

  • Relevance to Theme: 25%

  • Artistic & Technical Quality: 25%

  • Clarity & Impact of Expression: 20%

How to Register Multimedia Competition

Joining the 2025 Franklin Education Foundation Multimedia Competition is a straightforward process. Follow the steps below to ensure your registration is complete:

Step 1: Prepare Your Submission Materials
Get ready to upload the following:

  • Your Creative Work: Submit one entry per subcategory. Ensure your file is no larger than 800MB and named in the following format:
    FirstNameLastName_CategoryCode

  • Introductory Video: A 1–3 minute video in which you explain your work, your inspiration, and your creative process. Name this file:
    FirstNameLastName_CategoryCode_Intro

  • Accepted formats include .mp4, .mov, .pdf, .jpg, .png, and .docx. All non-English entries must include English subtitles or translations.

Step 2: Complete the Registration Form
Submit all your materials through the official Google Form:

👉 Click here to register and upload your submission

Within the form, you will:

  • Fill in your personal and contact information

  • Select your submission category

  • Upload both your creative work and introductory video

  • Provide payment information for the $100 entry fee

Important Notes:

  • You can save your progress and return to the form before final submission.

  • You will not receive an automatic confirmation email. If you wish to confirm submission, consider taking a screenshot of the final confirmation screen or saving a copy of your submission in your Google account.

Once submitted, your entry is considered officially received and will be reviewed during the judging period.

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