Skidompha Library’s Porter Meeting Hall hummed with excitement on May 6 as the audience watched the short films made by Lincoln County high school students and waited to find out who would win the $1,000 top prize at the Teen2Teen VidFest.

Fifteen films were submitted by 12 student directors on the issues of teen tobacco use, distracted driving and bullying. John Iltis, VidFest judge and former Chair of the Gene Siskel Film Center, said he was “very impressed with the quality of work” and the technical skills used.

Nathan Austin, a junior at Wiscasset High School, used a green screen to simulate a car crash caused by texting and spent 16 hours one day editing the footage frame by frame.

Austin was awarded the second place trophy and a prize of $500. Austin said he’ll spend the money fixing his car and going to the prom, and pay his mother back for some of his cell phone bill, which he swears he did not use while driving.

As Griff Braley (master of ceremony for the evening and artistic director at Heartwood Regional Theater Company) entertained the crowd, Pam Gormley of Skidompha Library and Jeanne Cahill Davis counted the audience ballots to see who would win the Audience Award $100 prize and trophy. With the votes tallied, Aidan Shadis of Lincoln Academy accepted his Audience Award to voluminous applause.

The judges John Iltis, Orion Breen, and Tara Gardner of Maine Media Workshops and College in Rockport chose one of Sammy Zaidi’s four films on distracted driving for the $250 third place prize.

Finally the moment of truth arrived, to thundering applause, Ploypailin Intarawut of Lincoln Academy and soon to be Mount Holyoke College accepted her 1st place trophy and check for $1,000 for her PSA on teen tobacco use.

“We hope the work of these students will inspire other teens to think about their actions and affirm healthy life choices,” said Breen. “We want this night to be just the beginning.”

Lincoln County Healthcare and Skidompha Library, two of the original members of Lincoln County Health Literacy Partnership, sponsored the VidFest.

The films will air on local public access channels and can be viewed online at TruthLinc on Twitter and Facebook www.facebook.com/truthlinc/.