Alex McGill said she wants student filmmakers across campus to tell a story they are passionate about. Regardless of genre or topic, she said she wants to give students the chance to show their films on the big screen.
McGill, promotions manager for Campus MovieFest, said although rumors were circulating that it was not returning in 2016, the nationwide, traveling film competition is launching Wednesday for its eighth year at IU.
Unlike most participating schools, IU’s chapter is run exclusively by students, McGill said.
“Due to that, sometimes it takes longer to get things situated,” she said in an email interview. “We love IU and the passion that the students here have. We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
The festival challenges students to write, film, edit and submit a film no longer than five minutes long within the span of one week.
During Wednesday’s launch, students will have access to film equipment they can check out and use for filming, which includes an Apple MacBook Pro loaded with Adobe Creative Cloud, a Panasonic Lumix HD camera, sound equipment and royalty-free songs.
To teach students about the equipment, McGill said Campus MovieFest has included an info session to be held today.
“We give students who normally would not be able to access the school’s equipment the chance to tell their stories on film,” she said. “Oftentimes if you are not in a certain department you can’t rent gear. We don’t care what your major is — we want to equip you with the tools and skills to express yourself.”
Following the week of filming, the festival will be holding its finale Friday, April 8, at the Indiana Memorial Union Whittenberger Auditorium.
The finale, which is free to attend, screens the top 16 films chosen by a panel of judges. Of these films, the top four move on to the grand finale, which will be in Atlanta this summer.
McGill said they offer awards to encourage students to submit work they are proud of.
After the summer’s grand finale, McGill said the top films have the opportunity to screen at next year’s Cannes International Film Festival in France.
Each year, hundreds of teams enter IU’s chapter of the festival. However, McGill said many students end up submitting nothing after becoming overwhelmed in the process.
“Make a schedule and stick to it,” she said. “Five minutes happens faster than you think. Try to keep your filming down because you’ll have less to edit. Have fun and just make something.”
Although she said it is still a competition, McGill said student filmmakers should keep in mind the learning experience Campus MovieFest offers.
“Don’t force yourself into a story just because you think it’s what judges want to see,” she said. “If you love comedy, make a comedy. If you want to talk about a struggle you’re facing, talk about it. That passion for your story will show and your film will be better for it.”
