Starting Tuesday, April 3, student filmmakers of all calibers, skill levels and experiences have the opportunity to make their own short film through Campus Movie Fest.
The only limitation? Films must be run no longer than five minutes and must be completed no later than April 8, giving students less than a week to make their films.
All equipment will be provided to students who choose to participate, including cameras, sound equipment, laptops and editing software.
The potential for creativity is boundless, said Sara Stewart, a promotions and outreach manager for Campus Movie Fest.
Essentially, students have a week to make anything they can dream up, Stewart said.
She said Campus Movie Fest provides beginners an amazing platform to make films.
“It’s a cool opportunity for students who’ve maybe thought about it but never had the time, maybe couldn’t afford the equipment,” she said.
Stewart said Campus Movie Fest provides assistance to anyone who needs it.
“We offer tech support and training during the filming week,” she said. “We make ourselves available whenever students need us, because we want the students to make the best quality films.”
It’s also a great experience for more daring, experienced filmmakers, Stewart said.
“It’s also for students who’ve been dreaming of being the next Steven Spielberg since they were six years old,” she said. “This is an opportunity for them to gain their entrance to the film world.”
Drake White, treasurer of IU’s Student Cinema Guild, said Campus Movie Fest is a great opportunity for students interested in film.
“The experience and opportunity is definitely great for any student filmmakers, whether they think that they can make something good or not,” he said. “I think either way you should get involved because it’s an awesome opportunity and it doesn’t cost anything.”
Films made by students through the film fest will be showcased at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 16, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in a premiere event. Tickets to the premiere are free.
“A lot of people are going to be there," White said. "It’s definitely great publicity for student filmmakers.”
Stewart said all of the student films made at the festival will be reviewed by a panel comprised of anonymous judges. The top 16 selections will be screened at the Buskirk-Chumley premiere event.
According to the Buskirk-Chumley’s website, the top four films will be announced at the event.
Stewart said the top four films from every campus involved in the festival will continue on to the national level.
This year, 45 colleges and universities are participating in Campus Movie Fest nationwide, including UCLA, University of South Florida and Emory University, where the festival originated, according to the organization's website.
The top four films selected at the national competition will go all the way to the Cannes International Film Festival, she said.
“That’s just a huge experience because it’s at the international level,” Stewart said.
She said students should take advantage of Campus Movie Fest while it’s available to them as college students.
“It’s just a very unique opportunity because it is free, and once students graduate college, they won’t be able to find anything like this,” she said.
