Va Bene Film Challenge returns to Astra, showcasing local student films

The Va Bene Film Challenge gave local student filmmakers a downtown Jasper stage with real visibility, as the fourth annual screening filled the Astra Theatre with work from southern Indiana high school students and turned a one-night event into a growing pipeline for young creators.

Created by Jasper natives Shalyn Grow and Asya Hildenbrand, the challenge began in 2023 as a short film competition for southern Indiana high school students. By the time it reached the Astra, the program had already grown into something bigger than a classroom assignment or a one-off arts night: Va Bene Pictures said the 2025 challenge drew submissions from four participating schools, screened the top eight films and included an onstage Q&A for each team.

That structure matters. Students did not just submit films and hope for the best. They saw their work projected in a renovated historic theater with 357 seats in downtown Jasper, then answered questions in front of an audience that included peers, families and community members. Local Indiana filmmaker Zac Cooper also spoke at the event, offering career advice and giving the students a direct connection to a working professional who has turned creative interest into a career path.

The Astra screening also showed how the challenge has been built to stay accessible while still feeling special. Admission was free, but a ticket was required, a setup that likely helped organizers balance open access with the logistics of a full theater. The event began at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m., and the format gave students a chance to move from a laptop screen or school hallway into one of Jasper’s most recognizable cultural spaces.

The program’s growth has been steady. A 2023 event, An Evening of Short Films, was donation-based and supported Va Bene Pictures’ next project and the continuation of the high school short film challenge. In 2024, the second annual screening moved to the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center, where students 18 and under attended free and adults paid $10, with proceeds going toward the next year’s challenge. By its fourth year, the screening had become more than a celebration. It had become a local arts pathway, giving students public recognition, professional feedback and a line of sight toward media, marketing and other creative careers that can start right here in Dubois County.