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Short Film Contest & Viewing

Books, Nature, Community: Do any of those give you an idea for a short film? Want the entire community to see it? Join us as we watch a selection of your submitted films and vote for a winner!

Members of our community will submit films for viewing consideration. The top films will be selected for viewing by the community inside the library. Anyone is welcome to come watch! Chairs will be set up, though you are welcome to bring blankets to sit on as well. BYOP (Bring Your Own Popcorn (or any other snacks you may like)).

Upon entry to the viewing, everyone will receive a ticket. That ticket will then be used at the end of the event to vote for the winner! That’s right! YOU select the winner! So, submit a short film for a chance to win a prize! A winner from each category will win a trophy and a movie pass for the Lexington Exchange theater. The overall winner will receive an Amazon gift card! However, feel free to just come on out and watch some great local cinema! We hope to see you there!

If you’re interested in submitting a short film:

  • Films must be based around one of the following themes (this can be done as loosely as you would like):
    • Books
    • Nature
    • Community
  • Must be of your own creation. If a film is based upon another person's life or upon a book or another work, applicant must secure any necessary rights to make an adaptation unless based in the public domain. By entering the competition, you acknowledge that you have secured any and all necessary rights.
    • Applicants are responsible for obtaining all necessary rights and permissions for third-party materials included in their films, including but not limited to music, trademarks, logos, etc. The St. Mary's County Library expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility for any violations of the foregoing.
  • Filmmakers must be residents of Southern Maryland (Calvert, Charles, or St. Mary’s County).
  • Films must be in English and/or have English subtitles.
  • Duration must be longer than 1 minute, but must not exceed 10 minutes.
  • Film must not contain any inappropriate, graphic, explicit, or obscene language and/or imagery.
    • The library maintains the right to disqualify any films containing this subject matter or content. If you have questions about this, please email bthorne@stmalib.org.
  • Films should be saved and submitted as a .MP4, .MOV, .AVI, .MKV, or .MPEG (must be playable via VLC)
  • There is a limit of one (1) entry per person or group. Any additional entries will be void.
  • Submit your film by emailing it to bthorne@stmalib.org by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, January 21st.
  • If your film is selected, you will be sent an agreement form by Friday, February 3rd by 5pm. This form must be signed and sent back by Friday, February 10th to be eligible for the Short Film Viewing the following day.
  • A maximum of 20 films will be selected for viewing pending submission lengths.
     

AGE GROUP: | Adult |

EVENT TYPE: | Technology | Life Skills | Arts & Crafts |

TAGS: | |

Leonardtown Library

Phone: 301-475-2846

Hours
Mon, Jul 07 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, Jul 08 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Jul 09 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Jul 10 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, Jul 11 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sat, Jul 12 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Jul 13 Closed

About the branch

If you need special accommodations for any Library event or program, please submit our Accommodations Request form as soon as possible.

Upcoming events

Mon, Jul 07, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Meeting Room 2
Join us for our summer art series! This summer, we’ll be introducing kids to four different artworks from around the world and the art techniques used.
This event is full

Tue, Jul 08, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Job seekers can stop by to get job counseling and resume help,search for jobs, and get registered with the Maryland Workforce Exchange.

Tue, Jul 08, 9:30am - 10:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, bounces, songs, and playtime for children birth-2 years with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 08, 10:00am - 10:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 08, 10:30am - 11:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 08, 11:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 08, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Meeting Room 2
Karen Stone, Division Manager of the St. Mary's County Museums, will give a special seminar on our local history.

Wed, Jul 09, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Meeting Room 1
We supply the “bricks,” you bring the imagination. Come build something amazing with our LEGO and Duplo pieces!

Wed, Jul 09, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Meeting Room 2
Come hang out for an afternoon of racing, dancing and sports!

Wed, Jul 09, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Meeting Rooms 1&2
From rain barrels and downspout redirecting to rain gardens and no-mow lawns, there is a lot the average household can do to help keep our waterways clean! 

Cancelled
Wed, Jul 09, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
That WIP you said you'd finish would love to come to the Maker Space!

Thu, Jul 10, 9:30am - 10:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, bounces, songs, and playtime for children birth-2 years with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 10, 10:00am - 10:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 10, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Lobby
Visit the St. Mary's County Health Department in the Leonardtown Lobby to get free information. Fun promotional items will be provided, too!

Thu, Jul 10, 10:30am - 11:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 10, 11:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 10, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Computer Lab
Want to get better at using Cricut Design Space? It's the software needed to use Cricut cutting machines. Learn to create your own designs and then visit the Makerspace to complete a custom project.
This event is full

Fri, Jul 11, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Meeting Rooms 1&2
For years, people have been painting rocks to place in their gardens, on their desks, at tourist attractions, and other places around their community.
This event is full

Sat, Jul 12, 10:00am - 11:00am
Meeting Rooms 1&2
We'll learn some basic coding concepts, build mazes, and code instructions for our Botley robots to find their way through. Please register each child attending.
This event is full

Sat, Jul 12, 11:30am - 12:30pm
Meeting Rooms 1&2
We'll learn some basic coding concepts, build mazes, and code instructions for our Botley robots to find their way through. Please register each child attending.

Mon, Jul 14, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Children's Area
Therapy animals from Pets on Wheels are visiting the library! Friends of all ages are invited to practice reading with a furry friend, or just enjoy some pets and snuggles.

Tue, Jul 15, 9:30am - 10:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, bounces, songs, and playtime for children birth-2 years with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 15, 10:00am - 10:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 15, 10:30am - 11:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 15, 11:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Wed, Jul 16, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Lobby
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital Community Health Advocates will be in the lobby to talk about health and wellness services throughout the hospital, and to provide blood pressure and other screenings.

Wed, Jul 16, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Meeting Room 2
Calling all creative and artsy teens, come join us this summer!

Wed, Jul 16, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Meeting Room 1
Drop in for open-ended crafting fun. Try one of our sample crafts, or create your own design! All materials provided.

Thu, Jul 17, 9:30am - 10:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, bounces, songs, and playtime for children birth-2 years with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 17, 10:00am - 10:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 17, 10:30am - 11:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 17, 11:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 17, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Meeting Room 1
Join us to discuss a different cozy mystery on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Leonardtown Library. Be ready to talk about a genre that puts us all at ease while keeping us on our toes.

Mon, Jul 21, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Meeting Room 2
Join us for our summer art series! This summer, we’ll be introducing kids to four different artworks from around the world and the art techniques used.
Registration opens Monday, July 7 2025 at 6:00pm

Tue, Jul 22, 9:30am - 10:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, bounces, songs, and playtime for children birth-2 years with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 22, 10:00am - 10:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 22, 10:30am - 11:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 22, 11:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Wed, Jul 23, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Meeting Room 2
Come hang out for an afternoon of racing, dancing and sports!

Wed, Jul 23, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Meeting Room 1
We supply the “bricks,” you bring the imagination. Come build something amazing with our LEGO and Duplo pieces!

Thu, Jul 24, 9:30am - 10:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, bounces, songs, and playtime for children birth-2 years with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 24, 10:00am - 10:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 24, 10:30am - 11:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 24, 11:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Fri, Jul 25, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Makerspace
Unlock your crafting potential by learning how to use the Cricut cutting machine and Cricut Mug Press to customize a ceramic mug!
Registration opens Friday, July 11 2025 at 9:00am

Fri, Jul 25, 10:30am - 11:30am
Meeting Rooms 1&2
Let's be scientists & investigate color mixing! Predict, observe, test, collect data, & have lots of fun as we learn about primary colors & secondary colors and how they combine.
Registration opens Friday, July 11 2025 at 10:30am

Mon, Jul 28, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
Meeting Rooms 1&2
Prepare to be amazed by Anthony Salazar, magician! This show includes award-winning sleight-of-hand magic with elaborate props, mind-reading, and music.

Mon, Jul 28, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Meeting Room 1
Do you like graphic novels? Do you want to talk about your favorite graphic novel with kids your age? Join us for our kids book club!

Tue, Jul 29, 9:30am - 10:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, bounces, songs, and playtime for children birth-2 years with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 29, 10:00am - 10:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 29, 10:30am - 11:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Jul 29, 11:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Wed, Jul 30, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Meeting Room 1
Drop in for open-ended crafting fun. Try one of our sample crafts, or create your own design! All materials provided.

Wed, Jul 30, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Meeting Room 2
Calling all creative and artsy teens, come join us this summer!

Thu, Jul 31, 9:30am - 10:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, bounces, songs, and playtime for children birth-2 years with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 31, 10:00am - 10:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 31, 10:30am - 11:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 31, 11:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Thu, Jul 31, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Meeting Room 2
Learn about Cubism, a modern art style using basic shapes to show a new perspective. We'll have an example art piece to discuss and then create our own versions of the piece using oil pastels!
Registration opens Thursday, July 17 2025 at 9:00am

Fri, Aug 01, 10:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Rooms 1&2
Is someone in your family about to start school for the very first time? Let's get ready for Kindergarten with a special school-themed storytime, crafts, and fun activities.
Registration opens Friday, July 18 2025 at 10:00am

Fri, Aug 01, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Makerspace
Summer Reading isn't over yet! Come "Color Our World" the day before National Coloring Day to get yourself in the mood.

Fri, Aug 01, 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Meeting Rooms 1&2
Free R.A.D. Self Defense Program for Women & Girls (ages 13-80 yrs. old). Taught by Darlene Gentry. Co-sponsored by Lexington Park Baptist Church.
Register

Sat, Aug 02, 10:00am - 4:30pm
Meeting Rooms 1&2
Free R.A.D. Self Defense Program for Women & Girls (ages 13-80 yrs. old). Taught by Darlene Gentry. Co-sponsored by Lexington Park Baptist Church.
Register

Mon, Aug 04, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Meeting Room 2
Join us for our summer art series! This summer, we’ll be introducing kids to four different artworks from around the world and the art techniques used.
Registration opens Monday, July 21 2025 at 6:00pm

Tue, Aug 05, 9:30am - 10:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, bounces, songs, and playtime for children birth-2 years with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Aug 05, 10:00am - 10:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Aug 05, 10:30am - 11:00am
Meeting Room 1
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Aug 05, 11:00am - 11:30am
Meeting Room 2
Stories, rhymes, songs, and activities planned with ages 1-5 in mind; all ages welcome with their adult caregivers.

Tue, Aug 05, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Meeting Room 2
Do you like anime or manga?
Registration opens Monday, July 21 2025 at 5:30pm