At the end of every spring semester the Keene State College film department hosts the Keene State Student Film Festival.
Last year the film department began showing the first half of the film festival again during the fall semester.
The festival is made up of two sections. The first section contains various Production one finals, music videos, Production two films and other videos made in higher-level film classes.
Joseph Jowett / Equinox Staff
The second half of the festival is made up of the Production three and four films, the capstone course for production majors. Over the years the second half has had a larger audience and rightfully so — these films have taken an entire year to produce (sometimes longer) and have high-production value.
Film Professor Irina Leimbacher described the event as a chance for “incoming students to see other students’ work” and gain an understanding of what the film scene is like at KSC. Anyone who missed the spring semester’s film festival, or anyone who wants to see it again, could come to this event, she said.
Last Thursday Sept. 18 was the screening of multiple student works.
The night started with a short reception with food and drinks.
Soon after, the department head Jonathan Schwartz kicked off the night with an address that called the screening a “celebration of student work.” In addition, the student organizations Film Society and Keene State Media Productions were given a chance to appeal to students to get them involved.
The Film Festival had a large selection of student works that totalled around two hours. Works included Paul Orr’s “City Whispers” and Michelle Wood’s “And Counting” started the night off with reflections on life in the modern world and living with AIDS. One of the more moving pieces was Steve Urquhart’s “Rule of Three,” a film about the loss of a brother. Film student Sarah DeFreitas said the use of family footage was “profoundly sad and moving.”
Another film, Bill Sicbaldi’s “Before Memory Fails,” also used family films, this time to remember a lost grandparent.
That is not to say all the films dealt with loss or dark themes. Jacob Paige’s “Crazy Glasses” provided some levity with a short on a child who puts on crazy glasses and sees surreal images.
There were two non-fiction pieces that were different from the rest of the fiction festival. Laura Judge’s “Cullet To” was a poetic short documentary focused on the process of glassblowing and re-purposing of objects/materials. Amanda Hayford’s “Marko Pollo” is the story of a man who has recently been blinded. The Film Festival is only the first of many Thursday night special screenings.
Lena Houst, secretary of Film Society, stressed the various screenings that are coming up. Next week is the 1927 film “College” accompanied by live piano by Jeff Rapsis. In October, there is an alumni screening of recent graduates that are working in a professional independent setting.
Jonathan Schwartz is helping to organize the event and hopes that this will “amplify the camaraderie and celebration of student work.”
Watch for more special Thursday screenings at the Putnam Theatre on the Putnam’s film schedule and on flyers around campus.
Joseph Jowett can be contacted at jjowett@keene-equinox.com
