When the final panel discussion wrapped up and the credits had rolled on the last of the more than 20 films screened at the 2022 乐播传媒 Film Festival, the 乐播传媒 students who produced the festival as part of their coursework still had some work to do.
But their assignment was a fun one, namely the business of counting ballots, choosing winners, and sending out awards in six categories.
The awards aren鈥檛 just about giving recognition to the filmmakers 鈥� although that is essential 鈥� they are part of the educational experience. The students became the 鈥渏ury鈥� for BFF.
鈥淭he deliberations led students to mobilize ideas they learned in their 乐播传媒 classes in a practical discussion that had real-world implications for the films being considered,鈥� says Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies Jonathan Cavallero, whose course 鈥淔ilm Festival Studies,鈥� teaches students how to produce a festival from start to finish.聽
鈥淭he debates around awards tend to define the post-festival discussions in a wonderfully appropriate way,鈥� Cavallero says.
Namely, students advocate for the films they love, put the scholarly theories they鈥檝e studied to use in practical ways and consider a range of perspectives, including each other’s. 鈥淭hey reach a consensus and, ultimately, see the results of that work immediately,鈥� their professor says.
The jury’s top prize for narrative feature went to The 24th, a historical drama released in 2020. It’s about an all-Black military unit in Houston in 1917 and their mutiny over racism within the military and the community.
The 24th was directed by Kevin Willmott who co-wrote BlackKklansman with director Spike Lee; the duo share the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. Willmott visited 乐播传媒 in 2017 to show and discuss another film he and Lee co-wrote, Chi-raq, a riff on Lysistrata of Aristophanes, but set in modern day Chicago amid gang violence.
Best Short Film went to Her Dance (2020), and the documentary award was awarded to a 2020 film about students at Lowell High School in San Francisco going through the admissions process, called Try Harder! 鈥淲e feel very honored and can鈥檛 wait to tell the whole team 鈥� especially cannot wait to tell your alum, and our Field Producer, Lauren Kawana,鈥� director Debbie Lum, told the class.
Audiences also had a chance to reward the films they loved. At the venues for this year鈥檚 festival, on campus and, for the first time, at a satellite location in Freeport, the Nordica Theatre, audiences filled out ballots that the students collected at each screening and tabulated after the festival to determine the three Audience Award winners.
Audiences awarded the film B茅b茅’s Kids (1992), directed by the festival鈥檚 special guest, Bruce W. Smith, the award for narrative feature. It鈥檚 30 years old but earned a following after its release.
鈥淚 am honored and flattered that this film sits as a fond memory for animation fans around the nation,鈥� Smith said in a statement. He鈥檇 traveled to Lewiston and participated in multiple interviews, including a panel discussion at Schaeffer Theatre on the closing day of the festival.
鈥淲hen directing B茅b茅’s Kids I certainly didn鈥檛 know how it would be received, but it鈥檚 heartening to know that people have good feelings while watching the film. Thank you, 乐播传媒 College, for having me and for embracing all of us at this festival.鈥�
The Audience Award for documentary was a tie, between 2020鈥檚 On the Record and 2022鈥檚 Framing Agnes, both of which received perfect scores.
Each winner receives a cash award of $500. The awards are 鈥渕odest by film festival standards,鈥� Cavallero says. But meaningful. 鈥淭he monetary part of the award is important to us. The 乐播传媒 Film Festival would not exist if filmmakers were not willing to share their work with us.鈥�
Most festivals charge filmmakers a submission fee, he says. 乐播传媒 does not. And many festivals ask filmmakers to attend but pay for only a portion of the trip, or nothing at all. 鈥淭he 乐播传媒 Film Festival does everything it can to pay for the entire cost of a filmmaker鈥檚 trip to our festival,鈥� Cavallero says. 鈥淚 sincerely hope that we can raise even more money for awards at future festivals because they help to support some truly extraordinary work.鈥�
Gabriel Cuillier, co-writer and director of 2021鈥檚 Buy Sell Trade, which won the Audience Award for short film, plans to put his 鈥渁wesome鈥� honor, along with that cash award, to good use immediately 鈥� by submitting his now-award winning film to other festivals. 鈥淚t would definitely be helpful for some of the submission fees,鈥� he wrote to Cavallero.
The awards are specifically funded by a group that includes alumni who work in the entertainment industry:
Marco Black 鈥�92 is a producer whose credits include film (Old School and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) and television (The Rookie, currently running on ABC), and Taylor Blackburn 鈥�16 is a television writer.
Several parents contribute to the award fund as well: Ed Decter P鈥�20, a screenwriter and showrunner; Steve Brookman P鈥�21 who is co-director of Motion Picture Business Affairs at CAA; and Trey Callaway P鈥�20, who contributes on behalf of his father-in-law, the late, legendary Mace Neufeld. Neufeld鈥檚 career went back to the 1970s and his more than 50 producing credits include several Jack Ryan movies, starting with The Hunt for Red October. The Harraseeket Inn in Freeport was also an awards sponsor.
The next 乐播传媒 Film Festival is slated for 2024. 鈥淚deas are circulating and conversations are already being had,鈥� Cavallero says. 鈥淭he one area that was repeatedly identified by students is the need to promote the panel discussions in the future. Without fail, some of the festival鈥檚 most memorable moments occur at those discussions, which are typically student led. Bigger audiences at those events would lead to even better conversations, so marketing that aspect of the festival is something we鈥檒l look at next time.鈥�
Here’s a full list of winners:
Jury Award for Narrative Feature: The 24th
Jury Award for Documentary Feature: Try Harder!
Jury Award for Best Short Film: Her Dance
Audience Award for Narrative Feature: B茅b茅’s Kids
Audience Award for Documentary Feature: On the Record and Framing Agnes (both tied with perfect scores)
Audience Award for Short Film: Buy Sell Trade
