Embedded Files
April 28, 2025
Photo Credit: Haley Hart
For the last few months, students have been working vigorously on their short films for the annual MBHS Film Fest. Dedicating hours each day to make their visions and ideas come to life. Film Fest will take place on April 28, 2025, and will be chosen by student judges, and MBHS students will have the chance to premiere their films!
There are four categories you are allowed to choose from. Here's what two students in the foreign category have to say:
Students in the foreign language category claim this category can be fairly difficult due to having to film and direct in another language they are either not fluent in or tend to struggle when having to memorize their lines. “I mean working in another language is really hard because you don’t know if it will sound good all put together. Especially because there are four people in my group, so we’re all writing different scenes, and if it doesn’t really fit then you know that's a bit of a problem. We've gone through a run through a couple of times and it sounds pretty good,” said junior Joss Finch.
The students in the category also, as mentioned, have a criteria for what they must cover in their film. “We made sure we hit all the requirements for everything because for Spanish we have requirements on what we are supposed to have in our film. I’m the editor and filmer of the movie, so I’ve been looking up YouTube tutorials for ideas,” said junior Joaquin Cuellar. Most students in the foreign language category are enrolled in Spanish 3 and are required to tackle this project either independently or in groups. Students do have to take time outside of class to work on their films because it is still a part of film fest which makes it an extracurricular, even though it's a required project for the class. Most of the foreign language films made by MBHS include that reality-TV-like feeling to really tie in the comedic elements. The opportunity to make a foreign language film gives students the opportunity to express their advancement in the class.
Getting a potion for the shady man in Joaquin's film "como leblanco." (Photo Credit: Joaquin Cuellar)
"Trashman" by Eli Waldman - Film Fest 2024 "Best in Show" winner (Photo Credit: Eli Waldman)
Students who don’t think they fit in any of the specific categories have the option to enter in the miscellaneous category:
The miscellaneous category gives filmmakers the most creative liberty according to Hart. There are no distinct lines in this category, so you can really let your imagination run wild.They are able to really dive deep into their own interests and morph it all into a film. Whether it's a documentary, something that combines multiple categories, or something entirely different, filmmakers have to create an idea for their film that is entirely new.
“I’m going to edit down a documentary I made last spring about the Santa Cruz Island trip with Mrs. Crockett’s class. I guess my process was I just kind of brought a camera around with me and I just filmed as much as possible,” said senior Eli Waldman. Waldman mentioned how he wanted to give other students the opportunity to see the experience he was given on the island, and bring it to life on film.
Students who are more interested in the drama category also have the option to express their creativity:
The drama category really allows students to dive deep into a more reality TV show sequence. Students can truly create a film that really draws people in and keeps them entertained. It’s important to the filmmakers when they are conducting a film that keeps an audience entertained. “My process is a little more complicated I think than other categories because I have to put in a little animation in my film as well as live action,” said sophomore Em Teresi. Fortunately, because the topic is drama, students have the ability to make their films dramatic and over exaggerated. This tends to be a boost for students, because it gives them that edge to really keep the audience and viewers engaged.
Horror can be a really fun and entertaining category. Allowing students to bring in the fear to the screen, and attempt to scare audiences.
“I make a document and I write down a bunch of water and highlight the ones I like. Then I start writing scripts for the one I choose I want to do. I then start recording as soon as possible. Once I get all that film done I go back to the computer and go back through all the film and choose the clips I want,” said Lewis.
Lewis also mentioned that creating a horror film can be rather hard because there are restrictions that come with this category. Due to keeping things school appropriate, students who are creating horror films have to keep it pretty PG-13. They are not allowed to use weapons and a lot of other things you would normally see in a typical horror movie. Although this may be a complication, this still allows students to really bring that horror aspect into their film. Lewis also said that they have to make the film more psychological. Filmmakers really have to figure out ways to twist the narrative and make it scary for the audience.
Comedy can be a bit similar to horror as well. Instead of bringing in that horror aspect, students need to bring the humor to the screen and give audiences an enjoyable and laughable experience.
Comedy may seem to be an easy category, but it too faces its challenges just like the rest of the categories. It's one thing to make your friends laugh, but it's another to have a whole audience laugh. When producing a comedic film students must really take into account what can be funny for everyone, not something that may only be appealing to a certain audience. Aside from this, the comedic category can be very entertaining and allow students to express a more fun and laughable side of film. “Comedy I feel like it’s a little bit more free form, because you can really do anything because comedy can be in so many different ways,” said Lewis. Keeping the audience engaged with the film and having those scenes that hope to spark laughter can really create an exciting experience for an audience.
All students have been working incredibly hard on their films. Spending countless hours writing, editing, and filming. The film fest gives students an opportunity to show off such hard work. Best of luck to all of our finalists.
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