Young filmmakers from all over the province will be travelling to Powell River from May 6 to 8 for the BC Student Film Festival.
Around 100 students from all levels of BC schooling are converging in Powell River to learn about filmmaking, network with professionals and other young filmmakers and screen their award-winning films for the other participants and the public.
The event is organized by the BC Media Educators and takes place in a different BC community each year. Brooks Secondary School and the Powell River Digital Film School are hosting the event for the second time.It was first held here in 2007. Students from all levels of schooling are invited to come through a film contest they must enter and win in order to attend.
Over an intensive three days students attend a series of workshops aimed at developing skills in various aspects of film production. Elements of filmmaking ranging from makeup to digital editing to stunts to cinematography will be taught by local and out of town professionals. Each participant will take four workshops of their choosing as well as participate in social events and some local exploration.
“It’s a neat way for us to showcase what we do for media education in Powell River,” said Michelle Hignell, Powell River Film Festival youth director. “They’re not just learning from their same old teachers, they’re actually people who have expertise in their field.”
Student filmmaking is a booming activity in BC, said festival director Lian Anson, and the numbers of programs available for students have risen drastically in recent years due to increased interest and technological advances that make it cheaper and easier to teach and make films. She said attending festivals and finding out what other film classes are up to helps build the programs and bolster enthusiasm for making movies.
“It’s really just to inspire the students and to foster an awareness of what other filmmakers are doing,” said Anson. “I always find, when I take my students, that they come back really excited about making films and really inspired to make something better. It kind of sets the bar high.”
Three films from the film school are among the winners from the contest and will be screened at the event. Isabelle Villeneuve and Jan LeFevre’s F-Issues took third place in the Senior Public Service Announcement category, Curtis Simmetta and Matt Watson were third place in the Senior Documentary category for their film The Texada Ferry and students Keith Cousins and Blake Ponto won second place in the Senior Music Video category for their film Wobble Mouse which features local band Neko Rei.
Public screenings of the students’ award-winning film submissions for the contests will happen each night of the festival at Max Cameron Theatre. The by-donation screenings will take place from 7:30 to 10 pm on Friday, May 6, 7 to 10 pm on Saturday, May 7 and 6:30 to 10 pm on Sunday, May 8. The Sunday night screening will feature the first place winners for all genre categories. The event is sponsored by the City of Powell River, School District 47, Quality Foods and Pacific Coastal Airlines, among others.
For more information, readers can contact Hignell at 604.414.9758 or [email protected].
