The University of Notre Dame’s Department of Film, Television, and Theatre (FTT) announces the 25th Annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival from Jan. 23 (Thursday) through Jan. 25 (Saturday) in the Browning Cinema. As in 2013, audience members will be invited to vote for their favorite film via text message. The Audience Choice Award will be presented to the student director(s) of the winning film before the final screening.
Celebrating its 25th year, the Notre Dame Student Film Festival screens films that were made by undergraduate students during the past year as class projects in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre.
The Notre Dame Student Film Festival is an annual launching pad for student filmmakers as they begin their careers in the film, television and entertainment industry. Over the past 25 years, the festival has featured the first films of future award winners such as Peter Richardson (2011 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award winner, “How To Die in Oregon”) and John Hibey (2012 Sundance Film Jury Award Winner for Short Filmmaking, “Fishing Without Nets”), as well as numerous others.
Festival founder and FTT faculty member Ted Mandell says, “Honestly, I can remember every film from every year. Unfortunately, I can’t remember much else.”
This year’s festival features the following 14 films:
- “Chicks” (7:36), Claire Stephens, Frank Schadt. Joe College picks the wrong farm to pull a poultry prank.
- “Ash” (8:17), Ray Herrly, Pat Nguyen. A loner finds himself in the middle of nowhere.
- “Gimp” (10:17), Camille Muth, Hunter Speese. To most people, Toronto writer Aaron Broverman is a person with a disability. He would like to change that perception.
- “Lilith’s Game” (10:57), Anthony Patti, Johnny Whichard. Someone has been playing video games for far too long.
- “Rice Bag” (5:34), Megan Kozak, Daniel Garcia de Paredes. A burlap sack, a banana and a beach.
- “Discordance” (5:32), Lauren Josephson, Zach Ostapchenko, Mary Kate Holmes, Colton Williamson. A campus love story in pianissimo.
- “The Suicide Disease” (16:14), Katie Mattie, Vincent Moore, Will Neal. Frances Shavers had a wonderful life as a top administrator at the University of Notre Dame. Then, a rare nerve disorder changed everything.
- “Dinner For None” (6:18), Kurt Zhuang, Chris Silvestri. A summer thunderstorm crashes into an eerie dark tale.
- “Unexpected Fortune” (8:37), Will Neal, Nick Desmone. A slow day at the 7-Eleven, or so she thought.
- “The Last Free Place” (12:30), Madeline Basil, Chris Holmes, Zach Ostapchenko. On an abandoned military base in the Colorado desert, a resourceful community of “slabbers” lives on the fringe of society.
- “A Quiet Day At The Park” (3:15), Mikey Nichols, Joey Doyle, Megan Flynn, Caroline Clark, Nick Goldsmith. In spandex, no one can hear you scream.
- “Unearthed” (9:28), Mackenzie Hightower, Amanda Dudzinski. Hauntingly poetic, a search for solace under one roof.
- “The Wormhole” (6:25), Colton Williamson. A distant relative of HAL 9000 sends everything down the drain.
- “My Neighbor Ned” (11:07), Andrew Cheng, Marty Flavin. While preparing for the inevitable zombie apocalypse, Jesse gets his wish.
Tickets may be purchased online at performingarts.nd.edu, by phone at 574-631-2800 or in person at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center ticket office.
Screenings will be held at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 23, 24 and 25. Running time is approximately 122 minutes.
Originally published by Arts and Letters at al.nd.edu on Jan. 10, 2014.
Originally published by at al.nd.edu on January 10, 2014.