Student Film Festival will showcase and recognize the talents of CHS students

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On May 15, CHS will hold the 11th annual Student Film Festival in which students can submit their films with the hopes of gaining recognition for their efforts. Any appropriate film under 15 minutes long is eligible and any one student may submit as many films as he or she would like. Each film will be placed into different categories based on film genre.

“Our festival is a way to show the community how much character and spirit the student body at Calabasas High School has,” said junior Daniel Glassman, President of the CHS Film Club and coordinator of the festival.

Once all films are received and sorted into the proper categories, a committee of judges comprised of both members of the film industry and CHS teachers will select a number of films from each category as official nominees for that division. These sections are primarily judged on the creator’s ability to tell a well-rounded story.

The festival coordinators have formulated specific guidelines, which can cause the submission to be deemed inappropriate and therefore not accepted into the festival. These policies prohibit the use of extreme violence, nudity, negative references to ethnicity or gender, foul language and the condoning of drugs or alcohol.

Although the festival is a competition of sorts, there are multiple awards to be received. The awards lineup usually consists of Best Drama Film, Best Comedy Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Editing, Best Director(s), Best Screenwriter(s), Best Cinematographer(s) and a few other categories. The winners are chosen based on their overall success in producing their crafts, showcasing talent and producing an outstanding final product. Every victor will receive an award resembling a miniature Oscar inscribed with his or her name, film title and respective category.

“Students [who submit films] just need to have that passion for filmmaking, and that passion and drive will give them recognition,” said Glassman. “This festival, and film in general, are beautiful in that way; they are about the stories we tell.”

The festival will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Black Box Theater. For more information on the CHS Student Film Festival, visit chsff15.wix.com.