FilmFest 2007 proves to be fun and educational
Abilene Christian University's FilmFest 2007 concluded Saturday, Nov. 3, after a weekend full of events for the ACU community, as well as for the entire Abilene community.
For the third year in a row, FilmFest has offered ACU students the opportunity to submit their work in the category of drama, comedy or action films. This year, 13 total films were entered, with five comedies, five dramas and three action films.
"I was thrilled with the quality of the films we received this year," said Doug Darby, ACU media specialist and creator of FilmFest. "It shows that are students as a whole, not just in certain disciplines, are understanding and using new media more effectively."
Ten awards were presented at the Nov. 2 ceremony that followed the showing of the qualifying films at the Paramount. Of these ten, 6 were won by the action film In Sheep’s Clothing, created by Grant Starey, a junior biology major from San Marcos. The film won awards for Best Production Design, Best Technical Director, Best Producer, Best Writer, Best Director and Best Film.
"The fact that Grant Starey is a biology major was truly thrilling," said Darby. "It personifies the spirit of FilmFest! We continue to promote this as an event for everyone, not just a few."
Additional awards given were for Best Actress, which went to Leah Liggins, junior broadcast journalism major from Augusta, Ga.; Best Actor was awarded Tanner Anderson, senior journalism major from Rockwall; and Haley Dilling, junior marketing major from Vero Beach, Fla. won the award for Best Sound Designer. The film Circles was voted as the People’s Choice Award.
Other activities over the weekend included guest lectures in several classes by FilmFest judges, and a symposium the following day, where the judges spoke to students about determination and overcoming hardships in the media world.
"I was very excited at the level of involvement we were able to get on campus with our visiting judges," said Darby. "We arranged for interaction times with Art, Journalism, Music and COBA students throughout the day Friday. While we have been doing this in years past, this was the first year we have had significant interest and involvement from across the campus."
Two of the FilmFest judges, Cali and Neal Lewis created GeekBrief.TV, a themed podcast that broadcasts tips and discusses computer trends to more than 1 million internet subscribers. On Nov. 2, GeekBrief broadcast live from the ACU Learning Commons. According to Neal Lewis, this podcast was expected to be the largest live broadcast in GeekBrief’s history. To view the podcast, go to iTunes and look for GeekBrief, episode #252.
"The live podcast from GeekBrief TV was fantastic," said Darby. "This was a unique event that not only showed off the Learning Commons, but solidified ACU's leadership in innovative technology and learning in the academic community."
FilmFest 2007 weekend ended with a live performance from another judge, Christian music artist Jill Parr. A free concert was held in the Bean Sprout Saturday night.
"I was thrilled at the enthusiasm and hard work of our students," said Darby. "To know we are reaching so many students and having a positive impact for current, and incoming students, is really wonderful. FilmFest is all about ACU, and the event captures the spirit of the next century, and the heart of our commitment to serving and preparing our students for leadership."
If you are a member of the media who would like more information about this release, please contact ACU's Public Relations Office or call (325) 674-2696.
