Watch out Steven Spielberg. The next generation of great American filmmakers is on its way thanks in part to the third annual Temecula Youth Media Arts Festival.

The city-sponsored event held Thursday through Saturday at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater gave kids up to 18 years old the opportunity to create and showcase original films and posters. This year, 14 youths or groups submitted 19 films.

Martin Betz, cultural arts administrator for the city, said the event began three years ago to give kids something to do after school.

"It's just something that kids can do that's completely outside of school," Betz said Thursday. "For a lot of these kids, filmmaking is their passion."

Wildomar resident Timo Laine, 18, was one of several young filmmakers making a return trip to this year's festival. Laine earned an award for best comedy for the second year running with "Filmmakers," the story of a boy making a film for a film festival.

"I made short films throughout high school with my friends and posted them on YouTube," Laine said. "I just kind of got into it and developed an interest in film."

Jeremy Thornton and Spencer Smith, both 18-year-olds from Murrieta, started filming their friends doing skateboard tricks in 2006.

"We were just shooting short skate videos and it turned into this," Thornton said. "We found out we love to do it."

They started experimenting with filming styles and volunteered to film videos for community organizations. This is their second year entering the Temecula youth film festival. Both now attend Palomar College and plan to study cinematography.

Several contestants in the festival are current students at Orange County High School of the Arts, a charter school in Santa Ana.

Orange County student Kaitlyn Jenkins, who won an award Saturday for best actor in a female role, said she goes on three or four auditions each week and has acted in commercials and on TV.

"There's something about stepping into someone else's shoes," Jenkins said. "It's such an incredible adrenaline rush."

Jenkins' experience has allowed her to receive feedback on her craft. But several other filmmakers in the festival said they are more used to the anonymity of posting their creations on YouTube. The festival allows them the opportunity to get feedback from their peers and judges.

Laine said the festival allowed him to "put it out there and have other people watch it and see if they like it. It's very nice to have an audience full of people."

Festival judges included film industry professionals such as visual effects artist Jim Isaac and television writer Silvia Olivas, along with local arts enthusiasts Jimmy Moore, Tammy Marine and Michael McCracken. The 2008 Temecula Youth Film Festival winner for best director, Dimitri Lazaris, was also on the judging panel.

"It's great for them to make something and get to show it to someone else," said festival co-host Nicholis Kalantar. "It's great for them to see the reaction and get acknowledgement for all the hard work they've put into the films."

Betz said many participants in the festival have expressed interest in more formal training, something he said the city hopes to be able to provide in the future.

Awards: Best Super Short - "Individuality," Charlotte Ciobanu; Best Educational - "Wow! What a Great Question!" Wesley Ruby; Best Documentary - "It's Not About Sex," Educational Video Center; Best Family Project - "Kevin's Critters: Chinchilla on the Loose," Kevin Anderson; Best PSA - "PPS," Nick Seider; Best Experimental - "Next Time Down," Sara Martin; Best Comedy - "Filmmakers," Timo Laine; Best Drama - "The Pool," J. David Ruby; Best Action - "The Resistance: Episode I," Daniel Reynolds; Best Actor Male Role - Marcos Robledo in "Filmmakers" and Julian Ortiz in "You Deserve This"; Best Actor Female Role - Kaitlyn Jenkins in "In Small Places" and Alexandrea Marcelino in "You Deserve This"; Best Sound Production - "The Pool," J. David Ruby; Best Sound Post-Production - "The Resistance: Episode I," Grant Reynolds; Best Special Effects - "The Resistance: Episode I," Grant Reynolds; Best Photography - "Tracer," Jeremy Thornton; Best Editing - "You Deserve This," Nick Seider; Best Screenplay - "The Pool," J. David Ruby; Best Director - J. David Ruby for "The Pool"; and Best Movie Poster - "Cars," Nicholas Clay.