Wednesday, December 02, 2015

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILM STUDENTS LEAD NATIONAL YOUNGARTS WINNERS IN CINEMATIC ARTS



Each year, the National YoungArts Foundation (www.youngarts.org) identifies and supports young talent in the areas of music, theater, visual arts, photography, writing, and cinematic arts.  This year, YoungArts received portfolio submissions from over 12,000 young artists nationwide – their most competitive year ever. These were evaluated through a blind adjudication process by a nationally and internationally renowned panel of judges, master teachers, and artists. The results, announced this month, identify four students from the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program as winners in Cinematic Arts - more than any other school save the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, which also had four winning film students.

Ballard’s winning filmmakers are Coleman Andersen, Leo Pfeifer, Sho Schrock-Manabe and Meagen Tajalle.  YoungArts winners receive cash awards, validation by renowned mentors, and opportunities to participate in YoungArts programs in Los Angeles, Miami and New York City.

Coleman Andersen (’15) achieved the highest possible YoungArts ranking – that of Finalist.  He had entered his dramatic short Stolen, which he produced with Leo Pfeifer during his senior year at BHS.  The short has previously won Best Drama prizes at the Chicago International Film Festival’s CineYouth event and the All American High School Film Festival in New York City.  It also won National Student Television Awards of Excellence for Short Form Fiction and Writing at the Northwest Emmy Awards last spring.  Coleman is currently a freshman in the film program at New York University. 

Leo Pfeifer, a senior at BHS, is a YoungArts Merit Winner for his documentary Clipped Wings, (produced with Coleman Andersen and Duncan Gowdy).  This examination of the ban on gays by the Boy Scouts of America has also seen festival success, including an Audience Award at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, 1st Prize in the Documentary category at the 2015 Dominique Dunne Film Competition, and National Student Television Awards of Excellence for Best Long Form Non-fiction and Photographer/Editor at the Northwest Emmy Awards.  Leo plans to study filmmaking in college next year. 

Sho Schrock-Manabe (’15) is a YoungArts Merit Winner for his music video Hologram, (produced during his senior year at BHS with Miles Andersen, Emily Black, Sophie DeGreen, and Jesse Romero).  The narrative music video contrasts the challenges of art and life.  It recently won Best of Show at the Eppfilms & Artistic by Design Center 2015 Film & Photography Showcase in Cleveland.  Sho is currently a freshman in the Creative Producing program at Chapman University. 

Meagen Tajalle, a senior at BHS, is a YoungArts Merit Winner for her documentary Raven Rock, (produced with Rachel Cole and Jaya Flanary).  The film examines a treatment program that pairs survivors of childhood abuse with rescued horses for mutual healing.  It was previously a winner at Fresh Film Northwest (a regional festival inviting competition from five Northwest states) and also took 2nd Prize in the Documentary category at the 2015 Dominique Dunne Film Competition.  Meagen plans to study filmmaking in college.

All these productions can be seen on the BHS Digital Filmmaking Program's vimeo page at www.vimeo.com/bhsfilmprogram .