Two Screenings for Five Student Films
May 27, 2010
Poster for "On the Bright Side" student film
By Marcia E. Gawecki
The trailers for the five student films are already up on You Tube. The entire student body at Idyllwild Arts got to see them last week. Now, everyone in Idyllwild can see all the films in their entirety at the “Moving Pictures Screenings” on campus this weekend. Like the Academy Awards, black tie is optional.
The five student films, all ranging from eight to 18 minutes in length, showcase the writing, directing, producing, editing, lighting, and camera work of the students in the Moving Pictures Department. Moreover, some of them even scored and acted in the films.
According to Malcom, a film student, the five short films include: “Prima Ballerina Assoluta,” about high school dancers; “Shortcomings,” a comedy about a teen with a small whatchamacallit; “Practice Room Nine,” a horror movie; “The Other Side,” an art film that no one can really explain; and “On the Bright Side,” a comedy about an optomistic teen unwilling to break-up.
Besides the five films, there will also be trailers for some documentaries that didn’t get finished this year, added Malcom.
Marietta, who wrote and is producing a documentary about fashion designers, said that sometimes it takes three to five years to complete one. Her documentary started out featuring her mother, a Russian fashion designer. However, as a senior, Marietta wasn’t concerned about someone else finishing her work next year.
“Two students from our crew will still be working on the documentary,” Marietta said. “And I’ll come back to help them edit it.”
“Because you’re the only one who speaks Russian,” said her friend, Sofia.
“No, the last part of the documentary will be in English,” she added.
“The films are better this year,” said Scarlett, who worked on nearly all five of them.
"The Other Side," is dubbed an "art film," because it's hard to explain
She said that “Shortcomings” and “The Other Side” were the most difficult to get out of the can. Mostly because of the weather changes.
Carter, a theater student who was one of the leads in “The Other Side,” said that it was freezing when they shot some of the scenes.
The students had built a “rain machine” and they were scheduled to shoot on one of the coldest nights of the year. Any delays in shooting “The Other Side” would put other films behind, so they had to push ahead with it.
“I was shivering a lot,” Carter said. “But it looks like I was just emotional on film.”
She said that it was harder to “play dead,” and not shiver.
“Prima Ballerina Assoluta,” Dhaivat’s 18-minute short film about ballet dancers, started out as a Kung Fu ninja fighters movie, with lots of death and fight scenes.
“But then Isaac (Webb, chair of the Moving Pictures Department) and I realized that the only ones on campus athletic enough to carry off a fight scene were the dancers, so we had to change it a bit,” he said. (See “Kung Fu Ballerina” post from April 20).
"Shortcomings" is about a guy with a small whatchamacallit
Most of the actors in the films are theater, film and dance students from Idyllwild Arts, including Dakota, Miracle, Ellen, Carter, Mykal, Kia, Juwan, Luke, Lea, Oscar, Jamie, Dylan and Laura, among others. Ana Lia Lenchantin, an Idyllwild resident, plays the ballet teacher in “Prima Ballerina Assoluta.”
Many Idyllwild landmarks will appear in the student films, including Fairway Market, the dance studio and dorms on the Idyllwild Arts campus, and homes in Idyllwild.
“We’re going to put out the red carpet,” said Laura, who wrote, directed and scored “On the Bright Side,” a short about a ridiculously optomistic guy who won’t allow his girlfriend to break up with him. Laura also played the female lead in another film, “Shortcomings.”
The Moving Pictures Screenings will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 28 and 29 at the IAF Theater (in the Bowman Building) on campus. All screenings are free and open to the public. Both evenings will show the same five films. For more information, visit www.idyllwildarts.org or call (951) 659-2171. Check out the “IAA Trailers 2010” on You Tube.
Copyright 2010 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.
