Students Making Movie Magic

In the grand tradition of Sundance and Cannes, this weekend Bloomington plays host to its very own independent film festival. The 2003 Union Board Film Fest kicks off tonight at the Indiana Memorial Union and will last throughout the weekend. In addition to showcasing the creative work of a dozen IU students, the festival will also screen two critically acclaimed independent films; "Living in Oblivion" and "Opposite of Sex." The festivities begin at 8 p.m. and will take the Thursday through Saturday night timeslots usually reserved for the UB Film Series. \nThe project was first conceptualized last January and has succeeded despite previously failed attempts to create a film festival on IU's campus. Ryan O'Connell, a junior and 2003 director of UB Films, is enthusiastic about the project and says it could easily become a solid annual event not just for the Union Board, but also for the campus as a whole. The audience will vote to select a winner of the esteemed People's Choice Award while a panel of faculty judges will determine the winner of the Critic's Choice Award. \n"It gives students who don't normally have the opportunity to express themselves the avenue for artistic expression," O'Connell says. \nThe UB Film Fest offers students hindered by technological constraints an opportunity to have their work seen on the big screen and viewed by both their peers and contemporaries. Films are accepted in a variety of formats, from VHS tape to 16 mm film, and the rules for the competition are fairly loose: no pornography or obscenity, and films must either be in English or include subtitles. Besides that, pretty much anything goes. \nThom Gillespie, director of the Masters in Immersive Mediated Environments program on campus, is one of the judges for the competition. He says he will basically be looking for good, entertaining film work. Gillespie adds he understands students have limited time and resources, so he is not looking for perfection, though creativity and technological aesthetics will be duly noted. \n"I have seen a number of student films and have rarely been disappointed," Gillespie says, "(There is) lots of talent on campus." \nSJ Morrison, a telecommunications graduate student, is entering his short film, entitled "Galileo's Shoes," into the competition. In the film, a college student struggles with his intelligence in the same way Galileo struggled with his own theories during his lifetime. The main character soon begins to discover things modern science cannot justify, thus enraging his professors and risking his safety. \nMorrison says he came up with the idea some time ago in a Philosophy of Inquiry class. \n"Walking through life, we come across millions of potential stories everyday," Morrison says, adding that it is just a matter of tapping into resources. Morrison filmed the movie over a span of eight days during winter break in his hometown of Edwardsville, Ill.. The film took approximately 37 hours to edit and contains all original music by Morrison's friend, composer Josh Rope. Morrison says that he is looking forward to seeing the other student's films, but holds no expectations for himself and is not nervous. \n"I think (the Film Fest) is an awesome idea, since there is no true film school at IU," Morrison says. "It shows that students are ready to showcase their talent and creativity."\nSenior Nathaniel Beaver is submitting a film modeled after classic Film Noir concepts of production and the stylistic approaches are modeled chiefly after "Double Indemnity." His short film, "The Shadow in the Spotlight," takes place in 1948. It is a drama featuring two actors competing for the title role in Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet." His work also contains an original score, composed by his brother, Jeremiah. \nBeaver filmed his work initially as a class project. He chose his subject matter as a way to fuse his ties to telecommunications, theatre and drama. Recently, Beaver submitted it to the National College TV Awards. He describes the experience of filmmaking as one of the few times a project has actually turned out better than he originally envisioned it. \n"It is one of the only projects I've done that I am almost entirely happy with," he says. \nBeaver is also intrigued by the two rounds of judges critiquing his work. He admits he is a little surprised that there were not more entries into the competition.\nO'Connell advises anyone with an interest in films, student expression or artistic expression to check out the Film Fest, but anyone with an interest in independent films may also find the event entertaining. Each day of the festival, audiences can look forward to a free showing of the higher-budget independent films. \n"Living in Oblivion" is a behind the scenes look at making a film, something of a day in the life on a movie set. The movie stars Steve Buscemi, Dermot Mulroney and his wife Catherine Keener. \n"The Opposite of Sex" is a comedic drama based on the life of a gay teacher, Bill, living in Indiana and his relationship with his 16-year-old half sister, Dedee (played by Christina Ricci). Dedee brings the drama along for the ride when she flies in from California to visit her brother. She ends up leaving shortly thereafter with her brother's lover (her new boyfriend), a bunch of money and the ashes of her brother's former lover in tow. The film is the directorial debut of Don Roos and also stars Lisa Kudrow, Martin Donovan and Lyle Lovett. \nThe UB Film Fest starts tonight at 8 p.m. in the Whittenberger Auditorium. For more information on the UB Film Fest, go to http://www.indiana.edu/~filmfest.