The mission of our festival and film project is to provide visiting students a dynamic experience in the art of motion picture making and storytelling. As many teachers feature digital video making in their classrooms, this is an opportunity to have your students see others doing similar work and to see the greater possibilities available in film making today. The sharing of our yearlong collective will serve as a way to help other area students to realize their own authentic voices and visions. To support the project on a broader level and give young filmmakers a meaningful outlet, we will be accepting middle level video projects from across the state and showcasing some of the best as an integral part of the festival. This showcase will be the first of its kind to exclusively feature films by and about middle level students.
Highlights of the festival will include a feature film (3040 minutes) based on a collaborative student/educator screenplay that stars middle school kids. Shooting of the feature begins this summer and will be completed by the middle of the winter. We are presently training a student film crew that will shoot in locations around the state. A more complete preview and a video trailer will be released to interested schools early in September. This narrative will be shot as a high resolution digital film (using24p technology) that closely resembles the aesthetic of real film (you have to see it to believe it). Also to be showcased are numerous shorter video projects (conceived, shot, and edited by students) that represent a variety of interests and ideas. Personal and family documentaries, skate/snowboarding videos, animation projects, and other avenues will be explored on the smaller screens set up as exhibits to browse and experience during the open festival time. Select student film makers and actors will be participating in a panel discussion at the end of the performance. Other handson film and technology exhibits will be on display for visitors to experience as they tour the festival. The subject matter of the films will be relevant and appropriate for all middle level students. The program will last for roughly 6080 minutes.
Our goal is to bring this adolescent film project to life for as many area students as possible, concentrating on schools in Chittenden County and the surrounding communities. We are sending press packages to many teachers in the state so we anticipate that remaining seats will be filling quickly. Even if you cannot attend the festival with your students, please consider submitting videos and encouraging this opportunity for your young filmmakers.
We want to emphasize our promise of a highquality experience for your students—please help us by supporting local arts initiatives in our community. Our group of students has produced four original stage productions and performed for more than 4000 people through these events. References and testimonies are available for those who seek more information about past projects.
We hope to offer this experience for interested students with or without adequate financial means by providing a guaranteed number of subsidized seats for each show. Please inquire further if you have any questions about ticketing.
The festival is tentatively slated for May 812, 2006 and is to be held at the Williston Central School in Williston, VT. Show times will vary to allow some schools with a longer travel time the option to attend one of the days.
Tickets for the event will be $5.00 per person (a fraction of the cost of many other field trip activities available in area). If you have any questions, please contact Nick Brooks by phone (802.860.9515) or email (brooksn@wsdvt.org)
