Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival, will launch at the Ohio Union tonight.

Aspiring filmmakers at Ohio State will get the chance to show their work to more than just friends and family.

Participants will borrow an Apple laptop and a Panasonic HD camera for one week so they can produce a five-minute movie. The films will be judged by a panel of OSU students and staff.

The top 16 films will play Nov. 15 in a Hollywood-esque setting in Independence Hall, fully equipped with a red carpet. They will also earn a chance to compete in the International Grand Finale with other schools.

Several factors go into the critiques of the film, but an important element is how the film represents the culture of its creator’s school.

“If we had a panel of judges who weren’t necessarily familiar with Ohio State, then they might miss out on something that’s special to Ohio State’s culture,” said Vijay Makar, co-founder and vice president of Campus MovieFest.

The most successful films will be the ones that tell a story. Although the films can be no longer than five minutes, producers and audience members are sometimes surprised at what can be accomplished in a short amount of time.

Jack McClintock, a second-year in business administration, is producing a movie for the festival.

He started his own production company, G&P Productions, then came to OSU to use resources it offers students who are passionate about film.

“I was blown away by the opportunities the (festival) can provide, so I immediately jumped on board,” McClintock said.

The festival was createdten years ago by four students at Emory University. This year, more than 100,000 students have already participated in the festival. It is the third year the festival has visited OSU.

“Everybody gets really excited when we get to come to Columbus because it’s close to their families, and they grew up in this area,” Makar said. “It just has that hometown camaraderie for us.”

The festival travels to 60 campuses across the U.S. and Mexico where students have reached out to the organization.

Real Buckeye Productions contacted festival organizers this year to prompt the visit. The Film and Video Society helped plan the event.

Students can pick up equipment for their films from noon to 5 p.m. today in the President’s Room at the Union, and movies must be completed by 3 p.m. Tuesday.