TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University of Alabama student filmmakers showcased their work at the Black Warrior Film Festival on Saturday, April 13, in Reese Phifer Hall on the UA campus.
The event featured film screenings, guest speaker panels, Q-and-A sessions with filmmakers, a luncheon and camera workshops for students to attend.
“I thought the event went really well,” said Danny Ryan, the programming, marketing and Creative Campus lead. “We had about 600 people show up, which was more than our goal of around 500.”
The UA Department of Telecommunication and Film, the Student Producers Association, Cinema Productions and Creative Campus hosted the event. The groups required student’s films to be produced at the Capstone.
Ryan said UA faculty, students and people in the community attended the festival.
“You get a good mix of people who are really interested in film and who know the technical side of what’s going on,” Ryan said. “There are people who like to watch stuff, and there are people who are there to just do something different, so it’s a good mix.”
Festival organizers said they have received positive feedback from people in attendance.
“Many people told us they enjoyed the event, and they requested that it become an annual program,” said festival chair Leigh Rusevlyan.
About 30 student films were presented, including “Not a Statistic” by Shelby Hadden.
“It tells an emotional story of a young boy with Mitochondrial disease and how he and his family are dealing with his diagnosis,” Rusevlyan said. “It is a really touching story that shows how much can be accomplished by student filmmakers.”
Other films included “Black and White,” “Corner Man,” “Harder Than We Thought: Covering a Natural Disaster” and “I.F.”
“The filmmaking process really is a lot of work, even if it is only a five minute film,” Ryan said. “It takes more than one person to make a film like these that were shown at the festival.”Event organizers said they started planning the festival in February, and it took two months to put together.
“It was a seven day a week job,” Rusevlyan said. “We were constantly designing logos, contacting sponsors, and promoting the festival. A lot of time has to go into planning an event on campus.”
She said she hopes the event will inspire other TCF students to start producing their own films.
“Hopefully, the festival will encourage more students at UA to create quality films that will be competitive at the event,” Rusevlyan said. “We want the TCF department to start developing serious graduates that are appealing to industry professionals in the future.”
Festival instructors included award-winning editor Angelo Corrao, professional cinematographer Keith Tippit, and Atlanta-based TUBE Creative’s and UA Alumnus Chris Downs. A main topic of discussion was what is involved in producing a film fest movie.
“By hearing from professionals and getting one-on-one time with them, it will really help the students benefit and learn something new from someone who has been there and worked in the industry,” Ryan said.
Student filmmaker Alex Beatty said despite his already extensive experience in filmmaking, he still picked up a few film tricks from the classes.
“I’m pleased with everything I learned and it’s definitely made me a better filmmaker,” Beatty said.
Ryan said his favorite part of the festival was the final block, which was when awards were given to student filmmakers.
“It was really a great community environment with all the filmmakers happy with each other and happy to see each other winning awards,” Ryan said. “For the filmmakers, it was nice to see their work finally pay off in a big way.”
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