When the lights go out and the projectors turn on for the 22nd student film and video show, the audience will be in for a handful of surprises.
Highlights include shopping carts followed by martial art combats, which give way to malicious kitchen utensils, and lead up to the recollection of a breakup.
The annual film and video show gives aspiring student filmmakers at De Anza a chance to have their work shown to and appreciated by family, friends and fellow students.
According to F/TV production instructor Zaki Lisha, submissions have gone up by an estimated 30 to 40 percent this year. Documentaries have seen a rise, while comic shorts and experimental film have traditionally been featured prominently.
“Some of the videos you see show a tremendous amount of diversity,” said Lisha, and added that the student films expose a high level of visual sophistication and experimentation.
“People are venturing, they are giving more … every year, things get better,” Lisha said.
Although many students shoot with their own, mostly digital cameras, Lisha says the recent trend involves more than just a breakthrough in technology. He attributes the recent trend of highly qualitative and creative films to devoted faculty, the department’s acquisition of digital editing equipment and to student filmmakers’ familiarity with the medium and its visual potential.
“They watch movies, they see how they are made, and [then] they bring in this outlook to it, which is very, very refreshing.
Refreshing indeed. You will never look at shopping carts the same way after watching the exhilarating mockumentary “Broken Wheels, Broken Dreams,” definitely a festival highlight. This fictionalized documentary deals with the “social issues” surrounding shopping carts and addresses the consequences implied when shopping carts are taken out of their natural habitats and forced to serve our consumer society.
“We were trying to take an actual problem and address it in a funny way so that people would enjoy it,” said Ryan Greeley, producer of “Broken Wheels, Broken Dreams.”
The production crew underwent some hardship throughout the completion of the project, including being kicked out of a local Safeway while shooting.
John Gutierrez, a member of the creative team behind “Wheels,” submitted his own piece titled “Middle Grey.” This short takes an experimental approach and features an innovative combination of black and white. Stylistically reminiscent of Gary Ross’ 1998 hit Pleasantville, only with a much darker social commentary, “Middle Grey” intercuts commercials and excerpts of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” with a character who is about to have a breakfast of the far side. Filmmaker Gutierrez’ high paced editing and unusual camera angles are sure to evoke mixed reactions.
Equally high paced and not without a hidden social commentary either, “Golf Course High Kick of Death” by Jason Schachat hits a hole in one. This is the story of a minor dispute between two golfers that goes terribly wrong. Shot black and white on 16mm, the film ends on a comic note with some clever special effects. The fight scenes are astoundingly well choreographed and underscored with comic sound effects.
“Bachelor’s Mess” by Marion Gothier starts out with a much more peaceful premise. A handsome twenty-something readies his apartment for the arrival of a date when suddenly he realizes that he won’t be able to clean up the incredible mess in his living quarters. On the brink of desperation, he invokes spirits who perform a miracle but won’t be driven out easily.
For the sake of optimal audience surprise, more should not be revealed about this short that combines 3D animation with live action. Animator Gothier, who won the State Media Award in the past, clearly puts her creative talent to work in “Bachelor’s Mess.”
One of the hidden jewels at this year’s student film festival is “Break Up” by Barry Lau. A mere two minutes long, it depicts a young woman’s recollection of a breakup. Although the main character tells the viewers about her experience in Japanese with English subtitles, the acting translates into a universal language everyone understands. Less is more in “Break Up.” The film plays it softly but touches the all right spots and leaves a lasting impression.
Impressions of the skateboard subculture are the theme of Chris Eldridge’s “Chairmen of the Board,” a hip documentary showing skateboarding and stunts that would make Tony Hawk’s face turn pale and the skateboarder’s heart beat faster.
The program of these and other films runs for approximately one and a half hours.
The film and video show will not be the ultimate destination for some of outstanding student features.
“I always look at De Anza as this oasis,” said Lisha, who hopes the festival will be a “springboard” for students to develop their creative talent in a professional field.
Film and television alumni have gone on to win such acclaimed awards as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences National Student Film Award and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences National Student Emmy Awards, among others.
Former students now work in positions such as chief engineer at MGM and editor for The History Channel, according to Lisha.
Alumni have shown their work at the Palo Alto Film Festival and the Los Angeles International Film Festival, among others.
The festival will take place on Friday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Room A-11. Admission is $5. Call 408-864-8391 or 408-864-8832 for more details.
