Thursday, April 18, 2013

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS FEATURED AT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

Seven short films by seventeen students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been named Official Selections of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY).  This competitive festival showcases outstanding work by filmmakers age 22 and younger.  NFFTY is a rare opportunity for high school students to share the spotlight with college students from our nation’s best film schools.  This year, NFFTY received over 700 entries from 30 states and 20 countries.  NFFTY opens at the Seattle Cinerama Theater on Thursday, April 25 and continues through Sunday, April 28 at the Seattle Center.

Official Selections for NFFTY are determined by a jury of professional filmmakers.  These short films by Ballard High School video students have been selected for screening.

Deep Down by Isaiah Hoban-Halversen, Kaila Lafferty & Oona Lowe

Dream House  by Ariahna Ghormley, Ana Krafchick & Louis Weissman

Great Mimes Think Alike by Will Slater, Michael Vitz-Wong & Kiana Wyld

Making a Mark  by Brittney Blokker, Helen Miller & Sam Weller 

My Little Brony by Vann Fulfs, Taylor Martin & Bryan Quandt

Sundown  by Vann Fulfs, Bryan Quandt & Jacob Scott

In addition, Leo Pfeifer’s short 74, produced last summer before he entered the BHS Video Production Program, was also selected.

Festival screenings are built around unifying themes.  The Northwest Scene screening (noon on Sunday, April 28 at the SIFF Uptown 1) is said to feature “the best of the West” by the Northwest’s “extremely talented young filmmakers.”  This year, half of these films are by Ballard High School Video Production students. 

BHS also has a team competing in the 48-hour Film Off.  Each school’s team has two days to produce a short from start to finish.  The winner (selected in part by the audience) will win funds for their school’s production program.  You can catch the 48-Hour Film Off – and cast your vote - on Saturday, April 27 at 11:30 at the SIFF Uptown 1.  

In addition to screenings and awards, NFFTY includes forums on filmmaking.  For a complete schedule of events, show times, and ticket information, visit www.nffty.org.

NFFTY itself is the brainchild of Ballard High School video alumnus Jesse Harris (’04).  Harris made history in 2004 when Living Life, the feature film he had written and directed as a senior project, was purchased by FilmMates and given a theatrical release.  (It opened in Seattle in April, 2005.)  The festival was co-founded by Harris, Kyle Seago (’07) – then a Ballard High School Video student - and Jocelyn RC (Bellevue High School, ’07).  A growing list of sponsors and partners paved the way for this seventh annual event.