Two North Texas student filmmakers have won the TXU Energy Light Up the Red Carpet Student Film Contest. There were nearly 40,000 online votes for more than 50 entries competing to win $30,000 in cash and grants.

Katherine Yarbrough, director of “Queen Kill-A-Watt,” from The Art Institute of Dallas and Kassidy Testut, director of “Looking Out for Texas,” from Richardson High School have each won First Place in their contest division. The winning films were chosen by a judges panel made up of experts from TXU Energy and the Dallas Film Society and announced at the 2011 DALLAS International Film Festival awards ceremony Friday night.

“This contest means a lot to me as a film maker,” said Yarbrough. “It’s really exciting that so many people have seen my work and liked it. In addition to the fantastic attention the contest has created, it has also helped connect me with a lot of great people in the industry. And, it has opened doors for me that will definitely help my career. Thanks to the prize money, I’m definitely headed to France this summer to intern at the Cannes Film Festival, one more great opportunity that is now a reality, thanks to TXU Energy. I’m really thrilled to have won.”

Yarbrough will receive $7,500 that she will split with the Art Institute’s film program. A technology grant in the same amount will be paid directly to Richardson High School, in honor of Testut’s accomplishment.

“I guess you could say I’m pretty sentimental about Texas and making films,” said Testut, who has plans to go to film school at NYU or USC after she graduates this spring. “This contest has given me a wonderful platform for sharing that with people. It’s up to us to make sure that the future of energy in Texas is a bright one, and I hope that’s what people pick up when they see my film. Winning the contest is really an honor, and I know this experience has really taught me a lot. I’m really glad that my school will benefit from the prize money, too, because that just means that more young film makers will be able to bring their ideas to light.”

• 2 nd place: Christian Vasquez from Booker T. Washington High School for “I Want to Make You Happy.”
• 3rd place: Olivia Pich from Garland High School for “The Aftermath.”

• 2 nd place: Aaron Carolina from UT Arlington for “After the Dark.”
• 3rd place: Dylan Voisard from The University of North Texas for “Zephyr.”

The students were all challenged to create a video demonstrating their view of the future of energy in Texas. In addition to attending the awards ceremony, all six students and their production crews enjoyed an opportunity to meet with film industry professionals at a special VIP event during the film festival.

These winning videos and all submitted entries can be seen at txu.com/studentfilmcontest.

TXU Energy is a market-leading competitive retailer that provides electricity and related services to approximately 2 million electricity customers in Texas. TXU Energy offers a variety of innovative products and solutions, allowing both its residential and business customers to choose options that best meet their needs, including exceptional customer service, competitively priced electricity service plans, innovative energy efficiency options, renewable energy programs and other electricity-related products and services. Visit txu.com for more information about TXU Energy. REP #10004.

The DALLAS Film Society celebrates films and their impact on society. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the DALLAS Film Society recognizes and honors filmmakers for their achievements in enhancing the creative community, provides educational programs to students to develop better understanding of the role of film in today's world, and promotes the City of Dallas and its commitment to the art of filmmaking. The annual DALLAS International Film Festival, which occurred March 31-April 10, 2011, was be presented by Cadillac and was a presentation of the DALLAS Film Society. In addition to producing one of the largest festivals in the Southwest, the Society produces numerous year round events, screening series and partnership programs with arts organizations around the city. For more information, call (214) 720-0555, or visit http://www.dallasfilm.org. The offices of the DALLAS Film Society are located at 3625 North Hall Street, Suite 740, Dallas, TX 75219.