Thursday, March 31, 2016

NFFTY TO FEATURE SHORTS BY BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS


Five short films by sixteen students in the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program have been named Official Selections of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY).  This competitive, international festival showcases outstanding work by filmmakers age 24 and younger.  NFFTY is a rare opportunity for high school students to share the spotlight with college students from our nation’s best undergraduate and graduate film schools.  This year NFFTY will feature 227 films from 24 countries and 33 states.  NFFTY opens at the Seattle Cinerama Theater on Thursday, April 28 and continues through Sunday, May 1 at the Seattle Center. 

These short films by Ballard High School film students have been selected for screening. 

Big Coat by Jaya Flanary, Duncan Gowdy & Leo Pfeifer 

Climate Change by Leo Pfeifer & Meagen Tajalle 

Hologram by Miles Andersen, Emily Black, Sophie DeGreen, Jesse Romero & Sho Schrock 

Today by Coleman Andersen, PJ Hase & Bergen Johnson 

Voices by Jonathan Bowers, Aurore Bouriot, Brian Cropp & Jake Rehfeldt 

BHS also has a team competing in the 48-hour Film Off.  Teams from various high schools have 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. 
Ballard’s team consists of Jonathan Bowers, Miles Andersen, PJ Hase, Jonny Cechony & Cecilia O’Rollins (photo above).  You can catch the 48-Hour Film Off – and cast your vote - on Saturday, April 30 at 1:30 pm 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 Digital Filmmaking 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) – a Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking student at the time - and Jocelyn RC (Bellevue High School, ’07).  A growing list of sponsors and partners paved the way for this tenth annual event.