One of the main thrusts of the Loyola Film Circle is the development and recognition of grass roots talents in the independent film industry. The Ateneo Video Open, now on its eleventh year, is Loyola Film Circle’s annual nationwide film competition open to collegiate-level filmmakers.

The event aims to highlight the effective use of aesthetically pleasing films as media for social discourse. There are four categories: short narrative, music video, documentary, and the more recently introduced experimental film. Aside from having a prestigious awards night, AVO also offers satellite screenings for the finalists of each category that are open to the public and free of charge. AVO’s viewers generally include college students in Metro Manila, as well as young film directors and producers looking for fresh talent. On the whole, AVO tries its best to reach out to all student film-makers in the metro.