We totally wish we were 16 or under again, 'cuz the folks at Fantastic Fest have just announced a kickass new contest called “Reel Heroes: the Fantastic Fest Trailer Competition”.

The basic idea is this: individual youth filmmaking teams will write, shoot and edit a short film (25 to 45 seconds) featuring an original concept superhero. The film must explain the powers of the superhero, and must end with the superhero saying, “(Name of superhero) welcomes you to Fantastic Fest!” Selected films will be played before movies during the 2007 Fantastic Fest, and winning teams will be invited to the Fantastic Fest Awards Ceremony.

The contest is being run in partnership with AMD and the Austin School of Film, and prizes include AMD-based video editing hardware, on which the winners can edit even more superhero shorts. Or Italian horror shorts. Maybe even dystopian sci-fi shorts... the possibilities are endless!

Keep checking the Fantastic Fest website for more details.

** Fine print! The competition is open to youths ages 16 and under. Films may be live action or animation. Teams may have adult supervision, but the intent is for kids to conceive and execute the films on their own. Films must be between 25 seconds and 45 seconds long. Completed films must be received by August 27.