‘Cruel and Unusual’ movie receives praise, awards at student film fest

Fighting "the Man," intense staring contests, searing social commentary and innocent romance were just some of the themes behind this year's lineup at the Student Film Festival.

The two-and-a-half-hour festival showcased 11 student-made films in a variety of formats, from simple animation to solarized dream sequences to film noir. Awards were given for Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Soundtrack, Best Group Ensemble, Best Director, Best Picture and Viewer's Choice.

The Student Film Festival began 10 years ago under the direction of the UPB, according to Jamie Fox, director of media and public relations.

Senior Marjilla Seddiq said every year, the festival continues to improve in quality and scope. Seddiq, the director of cinematic events for UPB last year, was one of four judges for this year's festival. Andrew Cothern, fellow judge and former co-director of cinematic events with Seddiq, agreed. "The quality of films shown this year was the best I have ever seen in the Student Film Festival," Cothern said. "It was incredibly hard to judge … because there were so many good films."

The films exhibited were the result of countless hours of filming, editing and just having fun. Inspiration for their creation sometimes came from the most everyday situations. "Wishful Thinking," for which David White won Best Director, is the story about loneliness of a theater usher who finds love with a customer. "The inspiration to write and actually create the film came from boredom," writer and actor Joey Cabrera said. "I was working at a movie theater and my mind began to wander. I plotted out [the theater usher’s] life and desires in my head, and I had the full story done within about five minutes." The film included reenactments of classic love scenes from "Sixteen Candles" and "Say Anything."

For "The Fourth of Jefferson," director Megan Helsley faced many challenges. She not only had to find student actors but also older adults and children, as well as costuming and locations that would contribute to the feel of 1978, the time period of the film. "This process was long and required hard work; not just from me but from individuals who were volunteering their time and energy," Helsley said. "I learned so much from the experience and had a great time doing it." The dedication of Helsley and her cast and crew paid off, earning them the award for Best Screenplay.

But not all projects were planned out before the filming process began. Student Addison Paige, who entered several films in this year's festival, said, "I take more of a spontaneous approach to making my films — if I have an idea I just ask some friends if they will help me make it and then we just sort of film each scene as the ideas come." Paige's animated film, "Stix Romance," won him the award for Best Soundtrack.

Matt Rondeau's and Mike Taft's "Cruel and Unusual" received an avalanche of praise and awards. The film, an examination of the effects of how society views possession and use of marijuana, was chosen as Best Picture, Best Group Ensemble, Best Editing and Viewer's Choice. Out of all the awards, the one that they were most proud of was Best Editing, because they virtually taught themselves how to use the editing system as they were making the film, Rondeau and Taft said. The opening scene of the film was particularly notable because it showed something really cool that should be described here. "Believe it or not, that scene was uncut!" Rondeau and Taft said. "We shot it in one 60-second take, with Matt working the steadicam and Mike holding the boom. We ran around Zane Showker Hall six times!"

Among the other winners was Chris Schrack's "Lucid" for Best Cinematography.

But, all awards aside, the true test of a filmâ_™s value is in the audience response, according to director of "Wishful Thinking" David White. "It makes you crazy when they don't like something and greedy if they do," White said. "But the fact is, if you don't show your film to an audience, what's the point? Like any performance art, a piece isn't really finished until it’s in front of an audience."

Rondeau and Taft agreed, "We feel the viewer is the most important factor to consider when making a film. When people like what you've done, then you can go home knowing you did a good job."

Check out Rondeau and Taft's production company website for more info at www.backporchfilms.com, and gain web access to Paige's work at www.252productions.com.