Sunday, March 30, 2008
Two short films by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program were award winners at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY). The festival featured 73 films from across the country by filmmakers 21 and younger. Many of the featured works were produced by students from such prestigious schools of film & television as the University of Southern California, New York University, and Emerson College, so there was no shortage of competition!
“Spaced Out” by Justin Amorratanasuchad, Mike Hipp and Devon Sizemore won the Jury Prize for Best Experimental Film. This short concerns one boy’s increasingly ominous struggle with MySpace. A jury of twelve filmmakers, including industry professionals and youth, determined the award together. “The End is Near” by Will Livesley-O’Neill, Vange Spracklin and Ben Steiner won the Audience Choice Award for Best High School Filmmaker. Their short documents a day in the life of a high school senior so frantic to finish his college application that he fails to notice an impending nuclear holocaust. Both shorts will be screened again at The Showing on Friday, May 30, at 7 pm in the Ballard High School auditorium. Admission is free, but there is a suggested donation of $5 for the Video Production Program.
