Natasha Brennan
Arts Editor
Seven student films were selected and will be screened at the at Sixth Annual Inland Empire Media Academy Film Festival starting at 7 p.m. today.
San Bernardino Valley College will host the festival in the library viewing room, featuring work from students attending high school, community college, private or public universities in the Inland Empire.
The films were entered into the festival by Professor of Communications Don Pollock in April without the students’ knowledge. They found out they were entered in the competition when they received an email inviting them to the festival.
Pollock entered seven of the student-made films including comedy “Powdered Treason,” experimental film “The Girl,” as well as documentaries “Drifting Through Her Currents,” “Graber Olives,” “Entertainment at the Fair,” “Rancho Remembers” and “Be Perfect.”
The films were made by sophomore television broadcast majors Savannah Henry and Florencia Schinoff, junior television broadcast majors Paloma Bobadilla, Crystal Cellian, Dylan McElligott and Jacob Ramirez, senior television broadcast majors Ezra Broadus, Scott Feuerhelm, Jada Gamble, Shanyn McFadden, Alexis Moya, Steve Rodgers, Daniel Romero, Marc Salomon, Tina Sanchez and senior broadcast journalism majors Michael Hernandez, Joseph Orozco and Lauren Van Lul.
Thirteen categories were available for entry: News/Reality/Documentary, Action/Adventure, Comedy/Romantic Comedy, Crime/Drama/Film Noir, Family/Children, Science Fiction/Thriller/Horror/Fantasy, Musical, Animation, Experimental, Romance, Native American Film/Culture or other.
The social media category was an additional category for films that were promoted with a strong social media platform including a Facebook page or Twitter profile.
Trophies will be awarded to winners of categories with two or more entries.
Van Lul directed the film “Be Perfect.”
She worked with Bobadilla, Orozco and Hernandez to complete the film about the Be Perfect Foundation created by alumnus Hal Hargrave in 2007.
“The foundation helps people with spinal cord injuries and Hal started it after he was injured himself,” Van Lul said.
Van Lul added that she will be attending the film festival and that winners are expected to give a short speech.
“We get to stand up and show our stuff,” Van Lul said.
Pollock previously entered the films into other local competitions, including the Alliance for Community Media western region conference March 10. Students, faculty and alumni were finalists for seven Western Access Video Excellence awards.
Two alumni won awards and “Be Perfect” won the Accessibility-Abled Programming (Community Producer) award.
For more information and tickets visit valleycollege.edu/filmfestival.
Natasha Brennan can be reached at natasha.brennan@laverne.edu.
