Student filmmakers debut work at Digital Media Festival
The inaugural San Benito Student Digital Media Festival is set
to take place on May 30 and will feature works by locals and
Gavilan College students, and speeches and guidance by local
filmmakers.
The festival will be at the Granada Theater from 4 p.m. to 6
p.m. and will feature films from three entry categories
– middle school, high school and college. The event will be
complete with a red carpet and Assemblywoman Anna Caballero,
D-Salinas, will also be in attendance at the event.
Student filmmakers debut work at Digital Media Festival
The inaugural San Benito Student Digital Media Festival is set to take place on May 30 and will feature works by locals and Gavilan College students, and speeches and guidance by local filmmakers.
The festival will be at the Granada Theater from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature films from three entry categories – middle school, high school and college. The event will be complete with a red carpet and Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, will also be in attendance at the event.
Funding was made possible through a grant from the California Arts Council.
Along with student films, local filmmakers John Chadwell, John Maio and Kathy Bisbee will be speaking at the event and also have agreed to show trailers of their films. They will also be giving the students tips on digital media and filmmaking.
“They will be relating what they see with the kids’ films to what they see with their films,” said event organizer Sharlene Van Rooy. “They’ll be giving some helpful hints and how they accomplished some of the techniques the kids were trying.”
Chadwell, a Hollister resident, has written hundreds of television video news stories and documentaries, according to a press release. One of his works, “The Horseman,” centers on county resident Don Douglas.
Maio, owner of Creative Adventures, has produced more than 40 documentaries since 1985, all distributed through Discovery Communications, according to the statement. His current documentary project, “Masters of the Skies: The Story of the California Condor,” is set to be released in late summer.
Bisbee, executive director of Community Media Access Partnership, has held numerous positions in filmmaking including producer, host, camera operator, line producer, editor and executive producer for many short and feature-length productions.
She also co-produced “Cafe Maya,” a documentary about agro-ecology, sustainability and community organizing among the Maya of Guatemala.
The primary sponsor, the San Benito County Arts Council, partnered with CMAP and San Benito High School to offer workshops for students to learn more about digital media leading up to the festival. The E-Cubed Foundation has also provided instruction for students at the rural schools in the county.
“It’s definitely been educational for the kids,” Van Rooy said. “They’ve definitely had an educational experience with it.”
The public is welcome to attend the event, and tickets are $5 or $15 for a family. Snacks and refreshments also will be available for purchase at the festival.
For more information, go to the San Benito County Arts Council’s Web site at www.sanbenitoarts.org or call 636-2787.
