[REC] YA Shorts Youth Film Festival is back for 2016. Presented by Screenwave, headspace Coffs Harbour, Screen NSW, and local organisations, the festival shines a spotlight on rising young, local filmmakers in the Mid North Coast region as well as addressing the importance of positive mental health in youth. Screenwave artistic director, Kate Howat, said the organisation was delighted to bring [REC] Ya Shorts back for 2016 and to be working with Clarence Valley Council to foster young filmmaking skillsets and promote positive mental health messages with young people in our community. The festival is open to people aged 12-25 years, and culminates in free “how to make a film” workshops at schools and education campuses across the Mid-North Coast, as well as a regional screening tour of the finalists’ films. Entry to the festival is free and the film competition rules are for all films to be a maximum of six minutes, to involve the positive message of “adventure”, and to feature this year’s signature item – “Key”. Entrants don’t have to have made a short film before or have an expensive camera to enter; storytelling, originality and creativity will be the most highly regarded. Submissions to [REC] Ya Shorts are now open and close Friday, September 9. For more information on the festival and how to enter, visit www.recyashorts.com.au or Facebook at “REC Ya Shorts Youth Film Festival”.