The David R. Ames Film Award is an annual accolade established at Ithaca College's Roy H. Park School of Communications, designed to inspire creativity and recognize the talents of young scriptwriters and filmmakers among its students. Established by David R. Ames '72, the award provides funding, typically up to $5,000, for students to produce an original script selected by a panel of faculty judges. The competition often requires finalists to assemble a production team, create a production proposal, and pitch their projects to the award committee.