BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKER WINS NATIONAL ARTS AWARD

The National YoungArts Foundation has awarded Lucy Harstrick a Merit Award in Cinematic Arts in recognition of the “exceptional artistic achievement” evident in her work. The award comes with a college recommendation from this prestigious organization. The YoungArts program identifies and supports young talent in the areas of music, theater, visual arts, photography, writing, and cinematic arts (motion picture). Lucy’s production was selected for honors from more than 11,000 submissions nationwide through a blind adjudication process by a nationally and internationally renowned panel of judges, master teachers, and artists.

A third year student in Ballard’s Video Production Program, Lucy plans to study filmmaking in college next year. She pitched her idea for the winning project to the Advanced Video Production class last spring. It was selected for production by her classmates, and Lucy worked with Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen ('13, now at NYU), Josh Vredevoogd ('14), and Kiana Wyld ('14) to realize her concept. Titled Song for Anna, the music video tells a nuanced story that could suggest a couple trying to get together – or trying to break up.

Song for Anna will have its premiere with other recently awarded works by filmmakers in the Ballard High School Video Production Program at The Showing on Saturday, February 8 or Thursday, February 13 at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. All proceeds support students in the Program.

BALLARD FILM STUDENTS WIN FIVE-STATE FESTIVAL

For the ninth straight year, students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program are winners in Fresh Film Northwest.  This competitive regional festival is coordinated by the Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon.  It accepts entries from filmmakers ages 13 to 19 in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. 

The music video Stop Pretending by Marlene Anderson, Khasbold Bataa, Gabe Fabens, Zach Green & Lorenzo Rossi won the Creative Self-Expression Award for “outstanding achievement in cinematic storytelling.”  The video features the original song of the same title by Rossi for his band Yellow Peril and concerns relationships that are held together by social expectations.  An Honorable Mention was awarded to the music video Song for Anna, by Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Lucy Harstrick, Josh Vredevoogd & Kiana Wyld.  It tells an ambiguous story of romance and loss.  Finally, winner of the Heart Award for “authenticity, originality, and humane treatment of a subject” is the visual story The Eye of the Beholder by Walker Evans, Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen & Brian VanWagenen.  It takes a subjective look at the destructive impact of fashion marketing.         

A jury of filmmakers and educators screened 117 entries to select 14 works for the festival.  The festival seeks to celebrate originality, freshness, authenticity, and conviction in the voices of young filmmakers.  The program will be screened and prizes awarded at the Portland Art Museum’s Whitsell Auditorium on Saturday, November 16 at 1 pm.  Filmmakers, film lovers, friends and families are welcome to attend. 

To see the winners as well as other new work by BHS filmmakers, attend our end-of-the-semester Showing on Saturday, February 8 or Thursday, February 13 at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium.  Tickets are $10 for adults or $5 for students.  All proceeds support the BHS Video Production Program.  

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Sydney Jarol (Class of 2011) with Rebecca Fons of the Chicago International Film Festival

After three productive, enjoyable, and undeniably educational years in the Ballard Video Production Program, I was lucky enough to be granted a generous scholarship to Columbia College Chicago. Columbia had been my first choice, both because it was located in a new and exciting city, and because it’s film program is one of the best in the country (it recently made #14 on the Hollywood Reporter’s Top 25 Film Schools of 2013). It would not have been possible for me to attend without such a scholarship, and I am extremely grateful for all the instruction, both constructively critical and supportive, that I received from Mr. Lawrence during my time in the video program. It was this guidance that inspired me to create the best work possible, and therefore helped me to build a portfolio strong enough to obtain this award. 

Since starting at Columbia College, I have been involved in several projects, filling a wide variety of roles including producer, writer, director, editor, script supervisor, sound designer, and production assistant. It has taken me a while to decide where to focus myself within the world of film production, but I have finally decided on sound design. Sound is something that I never even considered as an option when I thought about working in film, but my first sound class changed my mind completely. I had never realized how much fun sound could be, and once I came to the conclusion that I was perfectly capable of working the equipment and software, it rapidly became my favorite aspect of the filmmaking process. I hope to pursue a career in post-production audio, but I also plan to learn how to work on location sound.

In addition to coursework, I have done my best to continually be involved in extracurricular activities that will ultimately help me achieve my career goals. I have worked as a lab assistant in the post-production center at Columbia, as well as in a teaching assistant position for an art in schools program with Chicago Public Schools. And this past summer, I spent five weeks working as a film instructor for a summer camp at a Chicago elementary school, which was both challenging and rewarding.

But the best, and most exciting experience thus far has been my internship with the Chicago International Film Festival. Beyond the actual process of filmmaking, being a part of making film festivals happen is another passion of mine, and I had been dreaming about working with the festival ever since I first arrived in Chicago and learned of its existence. For two years I volunteered with the festival each fall, and then last spring I was granted an internship working with the Education Outreach Coordinator, Rebecca Fons. In my internship position, I helped to plan and carry out the 2013 CineYouth Festival, in addition to other duties such as assisting with education screenings and general festival events. Although internships generally last only a semester, I was asked to return for the fall, which means that I will be a part of the force behind the 49^th Chicago International Film Festival itself, and I could not be more delighted.

I will graduate next spring (2014) with a B.A. in Film and Video, and a minor in Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago. 

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCERS HONORED AT REGIONAL EMMY AWARDS

Each year, the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presents High School Awards of Excellence to celebrate the most outstanding high school productions from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.  The productions are nominated, and the winners determined, by a jury of Academy members.  When the envelopes were opened at the 50th Annual Regional Emmy Awards on June 15, students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program won 3 of the four categories in which they had been nominated.  

Here are the winners, by category: 

Community/Public Service Announcements:
Not Even Once by Sam Baldwin, Paris Burhen, Brian Cropp & Gabriel Tagulao

Long-Form, Fiction:
Godsend by DJ McCoy

Photographer/Editor:
Dream House by Ariahna Ghormley, Ana Krafchick & Louis Weissman

This marks the seventh year in a row that Ballard High School video producers have been winners at the event.

AND THE NOMINEES ARE...

The Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced nominees for the Northwest High School Awards of Excellence.  These awards celebrate the most outstanding productions from five Northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.  Productions are nominated by NATAS industry professionals.  Students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program earned eight nominations.  The winners will be announced on June 15 at the 50th Annual Regional Emmy Awards ceremony.  

Ballard’s nominations span four categories, reflecting the diverse skills students learn in the program.  These are the nominations by category. 

Community/Public Service Announcements:
  Anti-Littering by Tristram Fetters, DJ McCoy & Sage Borlo

  Not Even Once by Sam Baldwin, Paris Burhen, Brian Cropp & Gabriel Tagulao

Long-Form, Fiction:
  Godsend by DJ McCoy

Long-Form, Non-Fiction:
  Impact by Kenton King, Jacob Scott & Mackenzie Wright

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

Photographer/Editor:
  Dream House by Ariahna Ghormley, Ana Krafchick & Louis Weissman

  Nordic Heritage Museum by Julian Amrine & Joshua Vredevoogd

  Sundown by Vann Fulfs, Bryan Quandt & Jacob Scott

This makes the seventh year in a row that Ballard High School video producers have been nominated.  Last year they received 7 nominations and won the categories of Long Form, Fiction and Photographer/Editor.

NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM FESTIVAL HONORS BHS FILMMAKERS

Students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program won 15 awards and honors across six different categories at the 15th annual Northwest High School Film Festival at the Cinerama Theater in downtown Seattle.  This is the largest and longest running festival for high school filmmakers in the Puget Sound region.  This year 370 productions were entered in the competition from 24 high schools.

Perhaps the biggest prize of the festival is the “J-Dogg” Scholarship.  The award was established in 2011 by the family of Justin Amorratanasuchad, the gifted Ballard High School filmmaker whose career was tragically cut short by an accident during his second year of college.  The memorial scholarship gives upwards of $5,000 each year toward the college education of a festival winner preparing to pursue a degree in film and television production.  This year, the award was presented to BHS Video senior Vann Fulfs.  In the fall, Vann will be studying film production at Columbia College in Chicago – a program ranked by the Hollywood Reporter as one of the best in the world.

The festival was judged by a panel of industry professionals and college media professors.  The event was organized by the Media Educators for Excellence Team (MEET) and sponsored by Adobe, Advanced Broadcast Solutions, the Art Institute of Seattle, Keith Rivers Films, Glazier’s Camera, Key Code Media, and Shoreline Community College.  For more information on the NWHSFF, visit www.nwhsff.weebly,org.
 
There will be a screening of new work by students in the BHS Video Production Program (including one of this year’s prize-winning shorts) on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium.  Tickets to “The Showing” are $10 for adults and $8 for students and will be sold at the door.

Ballard’s Northwest High School Film Festival winners:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Dramatic Narrative - Suspense
  Sundown
  Vann Fulfs, Bryan Quandt, Jacob Scott 

News Feature
  Viking Robotics
  Ben Fuesel, Bryan Quandt

Public Service Announcement
  The Door
  Liam Moser, Cecilia Orozco-Chavez, Kimi Rutledge

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Comedic Narrative
  An Appetite for Knowledge
  Gabe Fabens, Nick Hauger, Lorenzo Rossi

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

  Hollyday
  Katie Brostrom, Kelsey Mendenhall, Sara Timmons 

Commercial
  A Night to Remember
  Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Ana Krafchick, Cooper Rickards

Documentary
  Deep Down
  Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Kaila Lafferty, Oona Lowe

  My Little Brony
  Vann Fulfs, Brian Quandt, Taylor Martin

Dramatic Narrative
  Eye of the Beholder
  Walker Evans, Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Brian VanWagenen

News Feature
  Ballard Cooks
  Milo Adams, Coleman Anderson, Carlos Caceres Martinez, Leo Pfeifer

  It Takes Balls to Juggle
  Brian Cropp, Lily , Raven Two Feathers

PSA/Anti-Ad
  Know Your Limit
  Joseph Downey, Grace Turnell, Robyn Wrey
 
  Not Even Once
  Sam Baldwin, Paris Burhen, Brian Cropp, Gabe Tagulao

  Real Nordic Heritage
  Julian Amrine, Joshua Vredevoogd

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS SCORE AT FILM COMPETITION

Three shorts by ten Ballard High School video students have won two of the major prizes and an Honorable Mention at the Dominique Dunne Film Competition in Colorado Springs.  The competition was one of the first events in the nation to showcase the work of young filmmakers.  It awards only four prizes: two for Documentary, and two for Dramatic Narrative.  Only schools with outstanding film programs were invited to participate, and each school was limited to just four entries. 

Isaiah Hoban-Halversen, Kaila Lafferty & Oona Lowe won Second Prize in the Documentary Category for Deep Down, the story of Alessandro Gilmini’s near-death experience in an ice cave.  In the Dramatic Category, Walker Evans, Elise Neroutsos, Jamie Vitz-Wong & Sam Weller won Second Prize for their sinister short The Craft.  The Honorable Mention went to the suspenseful short Sundown by Vann Fulfs, Bryan Quandt & Jacob Scott.

The students will receive cash prizes for each honor, as well as written critiques from the prestigious jury, including producer Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. (of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Samuel Goldwyn Films), actor/director Griffin Dunne (An American Werewolf in London, After Hours) and producer/ director/actor Ed Sherin (Law & Order).     

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.

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS WIN TOP AWARDS

On Saturday, February 23, six Ballard High School video students won two of the top prizes at the 17th Annual Derek Freese Youth Media Film Festival at Temple University in Philadelphia.

The award for Best Documentary went to Deep Down by Isaiah Hoban-Halversen, Kaila Lafferty & Oona Lowe. As a fourteen-year-old Ballard High School student, Alessandro Gelmini was exploring an ice cave with a friend when it collapsed, burying both boys beneath piles of shattered ice and debris. Deep Down tells the story of his rescue and recovery through interviews with Gelmini, his mother, and an emergency response professional, as well as news footage and expressive use of light and sound.

Best Editing went to Great Mimes Think Alike, a comedic short by Will Slater, Michael Vitz-Wong & Kiana Wyld. The story (by Kiana Wyld) concerns a mime content to earn his living on Market Street until a rival mime stakes a claim nearby. The short uses visual storytelling techniques so well it’s easy to see what characters are thinking. In good mime tradition, nobody says a word.

Seven other works by students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program had also been nominated: three others for Best Documentary and two others for Best Editing, as well as two for Best Fiction. The festival invites competition from high school filmmakers throughout the nation and is judged by professors from Temple University’s renowned School of Film and Media Arts, acclaimed filmmakers, and members of the Derek Freese Foundation.

NINE BHS FILMS NAMED FINALISTS IN NATIONAL FESTIVAL

Nine works by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been named finalists in the 17th Annual Derek Freese Youth Media Film Festival.  This prestigious festival draws competition from high school filmmakers throughout the nation and is judged by professors from Temple University’s renowned School of Film and Media Arts, acclaimed filmmakers, and members of the Derek Freese Foundation. 

The finalists will be screened and prizes awarded in each category during the festival from 4 – 7 pm on Saturday, February 23rd at Temple University’s Annenberg Hall in Philadelphia.

Four of the honored productions can be seen in The Showing this Friday, February 22 at 7 pm in the Ballard High School auditorium.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and will be sold at the door.  The funds raised will help send students to Los Angeles to tour the film and television industry and related college programs. 

Here are Ballard’s finalists:

Nominated for Best Documentary:

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

Impact by Kenton King, Jacob Scott & Mackenzie Wright

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

Unbroken by Marlene Andersen, Adhem Morsi & Cooper Rickards

Nominated for Best Editing:

Dream House, a dramatic short by Ariahna Ghormley, Ana Krafchick & Louis Weissman

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

Sunlight, a dramatic short by Isaiah Hoban-Halversen & Kenji Takada-Dill

Nominated for Best Fiction:

The Number by Alex Guettler, Ana Krafchick & Helen Miller

Sundown by Vann Fulfs, Bryan Quandt & Jacob Scott

FILM AND VIDEO STUDENTS PREMIERE NEW WORK

Everyone is invited to The Showing, a screening of new work produced first semester by students in the Video Production Program. The Showing will be Friday, February 8 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard High School auditorium. It will be repeated on Friday, February 22. The program will include short comedies and dramas, news features, advertisements, and documentaries. Three of these works recently won Creative Self-Expression Awards for “outstanding achievement in cinematic storytelling” from the Fresh Film Northwest Festival at the Portland Art Museum.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students, and will be sold at the door. All proceeds benefit students in the Video Production Program.

BALLARD FILM STUDENTS WIN REGIONAL FESTIVAL

On Saturday, November 17, four productions by students in the BHS Video Production Program were winners of Fresh Film Northwest at the Portland Art Museum. This competitive regional festival is coordinated by the Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon. It accepts entries from filmmakers ages 13 to 19 in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Every winning entry from Washington involved Ballard High School students.

After their work was screened for the festival audience, each student received a Creative Self-Expression Award for outstanding achievement in cinematic storytelling. The BHS winners were the documentaries Deep Down (by Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Kaila Lafferty & Oona Lowe) and My Little Brony (by Vann Fulfs, Taylor Martin & Bryan Quandt) as well as the short drama Dream House (by Ariahna Ghormley, Ana Krafchick & Louis Weissman). Also, Ballard video students Dayan Flynn-Walsh, Vann Fulfs, Ana Krafchick, John Paul Umbao and Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen joined others to create the winning short Love at First Bite while Isaiah worked as Education Assistant at 911 Media Arts last summer. 


A jury of filmmakers and educators screened more than 120 entries to select 14 works for the festival. Only eight of these received the Creative Self-Expression Award. The festival seeks to celebrate originality, freshness, authenticity, and conviction in the voices of young filmmakers. According to the jurors, “We are left in awe and with the feeling that the world is going to be all right.” This is the eighth year in a row that students in the BHS Video Production Program have been winners at the event.

To see new work by BHS filmmakers, attend our end-of-the-semester Showing on Friday, February 8 or Friday, February 22 at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults or $8 for students. All proceeds support the BHS Video Production Program.

BALLARD VIDEO STUDENTS WIN AT REGIONAL EMMY AWARDS

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences gives High School Awards of Excellence to recognize the best in student television production. The regional awards celebrate outstanding work from five Northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. Entries are judged by the same professional organization that selects Emmy winners, and presented at the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards.

Seven students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program were winners at this year’s event. Ariahna Ghormley (’13), Louis Weissman (’12) & Mackenzie Wright (’13) won for Photography/Editing on their commercial for Crash Landing Pizza. Walker Evans (’13), Elise Neroutsos (’11), James Vitz-Wong (’11) & Same Weller (’13) won the Long Form (Fiction) category for their sinister short The Craft.

This makes the sixth year in a row that students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been winners at the event. Five other Ballard High School video productions had also been nominated: two in the Writing category, two in the Public Service Announcement category, and two in the Photography/Editing category (making every nomination in that category a work from the Ballard High School Video Production Program).

NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM FESTIVAL HONORS BHS FILMMAKERS

Students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program won multiple awards and honors at the 14th annual Northwest High School Film Festival at the Cinerama Theater in downtown Seattle. This is the largest and longest running festival for high school filmmakers in the Puget Sound region. This year 354 productions were entered in the competition from 25 high schools. Ballard High School led the pack of winners with a total of 14 awards and honors.

The festival was judged by a panel of 23 industry professionals and college media professors. The event was organized by the Media Educators Excellence Team (MEET) and sponsored by Adobe, the Art Institute of Seattle, Shoreline Community College, Seattle University Film Studies, the Academy of Interactive Entertainment and Key Code Media. For more information on the NWHSFF, visit www.nwhsff.org.

BHS productions were honored in six different categories, reflecting the diverse skills and talents of Ballard’s film students. Some of the winning productions will be shown on Friday, June 1 at The Showing, a screening of work by students in the BHS Video Production Program. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and will be sold at the door.

Ballard’s Northwest High School Film Festival winners:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Comedic Narrative
The Number
Alex Guettler, Ana Krafchick, Helen Miller

Commercial
Crash Landing Pizza
Ariahna Ghormley, Louis Weissman, Mackenzie Wright

News Feature
Your Teen Health Center
Zachary Green, Isaiah Hoban Halversen, Kimi Rutledge

Public Service Announcement
Ballard Food Bank
Brittney Blokker, Jacob Scott, Sam Weller

Paper or Plastic
Oona Lowe, David Moore, Adlai Nissen


HONORABLE MENTIONS

Comedic Narrative
Chalk
Kenton King, Adlai Nissen, Silvano Ross

Thanks for Nothing
Cedar Crook, Alex James, Brianna Kadem

Dramatic Narrative
The Craft
Walker Evans, Elise Neroutsos, Sam Weller, James Vitz-Wong

Falling
Dayan Flynn-Walsh, Oona Lowe, Mackenzie Wright

Making a Mark
Brittney Blokker, Helen Miller, Sam Weller

Sunlight
Isaiah Hoban Halversen, Kenji Takada-Dill

Music Video
We Are the Children
John Christensen, Darienne Noelle-Clark, Alex Scheller, Jacob Scott

Public Service Announcement
Extend School Lunch
Nick Coons-Levy, Gabe Fabens, Quinlin North, Lorenzo Rossi

Trash Talks
Julian Amrine, Nick Hauger, Josh Vredevoogd

FUTURE FILMMAKERS LIGHT UP THE SCREEN

Everyone is invited to a screening of videos produced second semester by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program. The Showing will be Friday, June 1 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard High School auditorium. Included will be short comedies, dramas, public service announcements, news features, and documentaries. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and will be sold at the door. All proceeds will benefit students in the Video Production Program. Arrive early! The Showing routinely packs the auditorium and people have been turned away.

This screening will feature a variety of productions recently honored by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences as well as international film festivals such as the National Film Festival for Talented Youth and the Westport Youth Film Festival.

AND THE NOMINEES ARE...

The Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced nominees for the Northwest High School Awards of Excellence. These awards celebrate the most outstanding productions from five Northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program earned seven nominations, the most of any school or program. The winners will be announced on June 2nd at the 49th Annual Regional Emmy Awards ceremony.

Ballard’s nominations span four categories, reflecting the diverse skills of the producers. In the technical category of Photography/Editor, Ballard High School students garnered every nomination. These are the nominations by category.

Photographer/Editor:
Crash Landing Pizza by Louis Weissman, Ariahna Ghormley & Mackenzie Wright

Safe at Last: The Story of Antwaan Dixon by Louis Weissman, Nate Sawtell & Dylan Spence

Senior Assassin by Alex Johnston, Tony Meyer & Elizabeth Turnell

Writing:
Safe at Last: The Story of Antwaan Dixon by Nate Sawtell, Dylan Spence & Louis Weissman

Long-Form, Fiction:
The Craft by Elise Neroutsos, Walker Evans, James Vitz-Wong & Sam Weller

Public Service Announcement:
Ballard Food Bank by Jacob Scott, Brittney Blokker & Sam Weller

Senior Assassin by Tony Meyer, Alex Johnston-Thomas & Elizabeth Turnell

The nominees were selected by industry professionals in the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. This makes the sixth year in a row that Ballard High School video producers have been nominated. Last year they received 9 nominations and won the category of Long Form Non-Fiction.

BHS video students will present new works completed this semester at The Showing on Friday, June 1 at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and will be sold at the door.

BALLARD FILMMAKERS SCORE AT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Three productions by Ballard High School video students have been named Official Selections of the Westport Youth Film Festival. The honored films are The Craft by Walker Evans, Elise Neroutsos, James Vitz-Wong & Sam Weller; Dream House by Ariahna Ghormely, Ana Krafchick & Louis Weissman, and A Comfortable Home, a project produced over the summer by Isaiah Hoban Halverson. The festival will take place in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on June 2nd.

Westport is home to many New York film professionals, and the festival, in association with the Westport Arts Center, is designed to provide an outlet for young filmmakers to share their work in a professional environment and receive constructive criticism from a combination of peers and professionals. This competitive festival screens “the best international and national high school and middle school films.” For more about WYFF, visit www.westportyouthfilmfest.org.

Dream House will premiere with other works produced by students during the spring semester at The Showing on Friday, June 1st in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students.

NFFTY PREMIERES NEW FILM BY RIKKE HEINECKE

The National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) celebrates great work by filmmakers 22 and younger. This allows promising high school filmmakers to meet college students from the nation’s leading film schools. For students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program, it also gives them a chance to catch up with program alumni and see their recent work.

Rikke Heinecke (BHS ’11) produced and directed titles are too mainstream last summer before leaving Seattle for the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. Networking with other graduates preparing to attend USC put her in touch with Dylan Visvikis (Woodenville High School, ’11). Heinecke was taken with his script for titles..., and launched a successful campaign on Kickstarter to raise funds for the project. Using a network she had developed during her studies in the BHS Video Program, Heinecke hired Bud Harrington as Director of Photography and worked with Screen Actors Guild veteran and acting coach Valerie Mamches to cast the production. She also recruited Sydney Jarol (BHS ’11) and Jacob Scott (BHS ’13) for the camera crew.

titles are too mainstream tells the story of Alex, who embarks on a quest to become a hipster legend and win over the girl of his dreams. "I'm very excited to be premiering the film at NFFTY” says Heinecke, “it will be the first time anyone (including the actors and crew members) will have seen it."

Heinecke is no stranger to NFFTY. In 2010, she was on a team of 5 filmmakers from Ballard High School to win NFFTYs 48 Hour Film Off. The following year, her first visual story, Signs, premiered at NFFTY on Opening Night. Heinecke is looking forward to NFFTY 2012. "I am so excited to get to be a part of NFFTY for my third year in a row. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet amazingly talented filmmakers. Last year I met Allison Tate-Cortese, who is also a freshman in the Film and Television Production Program at USC and has become one of my best friends. I really can't wait to see who I'll meet this year and what inspiring stories will unfold in front of me on the big screen."

titles are too mainstream will screen during the Sex, Lies, & Angst program at the SIFF Uptown 2 Friday at 9 pm. As previously announced, NFFTY will also screen 6 short films produced by students currently in the BHS Video Production Program. For a complete festival schedule, visit www.nffty.org.

BALLARD VIDEO STUDENT JOINS HOLLYWOOD CAMERA CREW

During his last few years in the Ballard High School Video Production Program, senior Louis Weissman has had aspirations of working behind the camera on a Hollywood feature film. His goal seemed nearer recently when he was accepted to the prestigious film production program at Emerson College in Boston. Then last week, he landed a job in the camera department for a feature film shooting in Los Angeles this spring.

Weissman was one of eighteen BHS video students to tour the Los Angeles film schools and industry on a field trip in 2010. Upon his return, he co-founded 243 Productions with four classmates. Their company has created productions for a variety of clients.

Weissman also excelled on productions in class. His first visual story, Mr. Clean, was an Official Selection of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) in 2011. His follow-up effort, the digital film Safe at Last, was a Winner at the regional Young People’s Film Festival and will be featured at NFFTY next month. He’s had internships at NFFTY during the school year and in Los Angeles last summer.

The big break came as a result of his LA internship. “The Associate Producer, Colin Ebeling, was on set helping out, and I was camera assisting: changing lenses and things. He complimented me on my hustle and knowledge and said he’d like to work with me again in the future.” Weissman thought nothing more about the conversation until the end of January, when Ebeling tracked him down about a camera crew position. “It was unreal,” says Weissman. “I ran downstairs to tell my dad so quickly I lost a slipper on the way.”

The feature, titled Bounty Killer, is set in a future society after years of global corporate rule and collapse. It concerns a specially trained assassin on a mission to cleanse the post-apocalyptic world of corrupt CEOs – in short, just the kind of movie a teenage boy might enjoy working on. But what really got Weissman’s attention was the technology. “They asked ‘Are you familiar with the Arri Alexa?’ This is the digital camera that’s rivaling film – the same one used to shoot Drive and Game of Thrones. I’d give my right arm to work with that camera. Well, my left arm, because I’d need my right to operate it.”

Weissman has already earned sufficient credits to graduate from high school and plans to take his diploma early in order to join the crew in Los Angeles for shooting this April and May. He has no intention of putting film school on hold, however. “The job I’ll be working next month doesn’t require a college degree, but once I get on that career ladder, I’d like to move up and eventually become a cinematographer some day. Without a college degree, I’d hit a ceiling that I couldn’t move beyond. You can learn things on the set you might never learn in college, but the reverse is true, too. During the hustle and bustle of production, you don’t have time to familiarize yourself with art history or ponder what lighting strategy best complements the art design.”

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS TO BE FEATURED AT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

Six short films by 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 nearly 700 entries from 40 states and 22 countries. NFFTY opens at the Seattle Cinerama Theater on Thursday, April 26 and continues through Sunday, April 29 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.

Cogs by Brendan Inkley, Nadia Komen & Cybele Olsen

English Pocket Mirror by John Hall, Sydney Jarol & Dylan Miller

Lost & Found by Brianna Kadem, Peter Lee & Bryan Quandt

The Number by Alex Guettler, Ana Krafchick & Helen Miller

Roll Play by Lily Bennett, Enjuli Chhaniara & Dayan Flynn-Walsh

Safe at Last: The Story of Antwaan Dixon by Nate Sawtell, Dylan Spence & Louis Weissman

An additional honor has been bestowed on Lost & Found. It will be screened on the prestigious Closing Night program. Both Lost & Found and The Number are the first short films by students in their initial year of the BHS Video Production Program.

Immediately following the Closing Night screening, Jury Prizes and Audience Awards will be announced. In addition to screenings and awards, NFFTY includes forums on filmmaking. For a complete schedule of events (including this year’s Future of Film Expo), 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) – also a Ballard High School Video alumnus - and Jocelyn RC (Bellevue High School, ’07). A growing list of sponsors and partners, such as Bing, Volvo, Xbox 360, Expedia, and Vitaminwater have paved the way for this sixth annual event.

BALLARD VIDEO PRODUCTION STUDENTS GO HOLLYWOOD

This spring, twelve students in the BHS Video Production Program will be visiting Hollywood to tour the industry, meet with professionals, visit world-class film schools, and connect with our program alumni.

Filmmaking is a competitive career. It’s not uncommon for top college programs of film and television to admit as few as 2% of applicants. Despite these odds, BHS video students regularly gain admission to these prestigious schools. As they move through college and enter the industry, these program alumni provide an ongoing source of inspiration and support for students currently in the program.

Kyle Seago graduated from BHS in ’07, and attended the film production program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. By his second year of college, Kyle was getting such attractive job offers that he decided to put college on hold. The next few years took him to Italy, Morocco, Greece, and Macau for location shoots as he rose to the position of Associate Producer. Kyle is eager to talk with current students about the program at LMU and entering the industry.

Brendan McCarthy graduated in ’04 and attended film school at New York University. He is currently in Los Angeles working in the writers’ room of the new CBS series Rob! (broadcast Thursday evenings at 8:30 pm). Brendan will talk with students about writing for the industry and give them a tour of Studio City.

Chloe Warner-Moyer (’11) is currently attending Chapman University’s Creative Producing Program on a Dean’s Scholarship. She’ll be joining us for a tour of the new facilities at Chapman’s Dodge School of Film & Television and giving students the inside scoop on the producing program.

Rikke Heinecke (’11) is organizing our tour of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema Arts, where she’s studying film production. She’s also arranging a chance for us to screen work by USC film students and meet some of the faculty.

All of these schools made the Hollywood Reporter’s list of the world’s top film schools, released earlier this year.

In addition, BHS students will be meeting film professionals with varied expertise, observing a shoot, and touring Hollywood studios.

We’re hoping that this trip will help students understand that the world of filmmaking is a realistic goal if they’re willing to work hard and prepare. This message wasn’t lost on previous students. Chloe and Rikke were part of a similar trip to Los Angeles in 2010. Also on that trip: Blair Scott (’11) and Dylan Miller (11’) both of whom are now studying film production at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Sydney Jarol ('11) who is now studying film on a Presidential Scholarship at Columbia College of the Arts in Chicago, and Liz O’Laughlin (’11) who is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Temple University’s School of Film & Media Arts in Philadelphia.

HONORED SHORTS PREMIERE AT THE SHOWING

Everyone is invited to a screening of new work by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program. Prior screenings have filled the auditorium and people have been turned away, so the screening will show on two days: Thursday, February 9 and Friday, February 10 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard High School auditorium.

The show will be the BHS premiere of Safe at Last, the winner of the Young People’s Film Festival, as well as several other honored productions. In addition to short comedies and dramas, the program will include news features and advertisements.

Tickets are $10, or $7 for students with an activity pass, and will be sold at the door. All proceeds benefit students in the Video Production Program.

REGIONAL FESTIVAL HONORS TEN MORE FILMS BY BALLARD VIDEO PRODUCTION STUDENTS

Ten shorts by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been identified as “Works of Merit” by the 35th Annual Young People’s Film Festival, a competitive, six-state regional festival coordinated by the Northwest Film Center in Portland. A jury of filmmakers and educators selected 30 works for this distinction from over 150 entries in the Teen Division (grades 9 – 12). The Film Center plans to display these works online.

The ten Ballard works that made the list include visual stories, short digital films, and a music video. Two of them are the first narrative works by students in the intro class of the Video Production Program.

As we announced last month, Nate Sawtell, Dylan Spence, and Louis Weissman have been named winners in the Teen Division for their digital film Safe at Last. The Festival Winners of the Teen Division will be screened this Saturday, November 19 at 1 p.m. at the Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium (1219 SW Park, Portland, Oregon). Following the screening, there will be a reception and panel discussion for winners and audience members to meet this year's festival jurors.

The winner and several “Works of Merit” will be screened at Ballard High School in a program of new works by BHS video students on Thursday, February 9 or Friday, February 10 at 7 pm in the auditorium. Admission is $10, or $7 for students with an activity pass. All proceeds benefit students in the Video Production Program.

Young People’s Film Festival “Works of Merit” by BHS Video students:

At First Sight
By Vann Fulfs, Alex James, Taylor Martin & John Paul Umbao

Checkmate
By Mia Caron, John Christensen & Alex Johnston

Cogs
By Brendan Inkley, Cybele Olsen & Nadia Komen

The Craft
By Walker Evans, Elise Neroutsos, Sam Weller & James Vitz-Wong

The Number
By Alex Guettler, Helen Miller & Ana Krafchick

Old House
By Sam Weller, Walker Evans & Kirsten Zeller

Reverie Portal
By Ashleigh Klemetson, David Moore, Blair Scott & Kenji Takada

To-do
By Mia Montagna, Elise Neroutsos & Ivy Vance

Truth or Dare
By Liam Halvorsen, Joe Jacobson, Dylan Miller & Ariel Noltimier

Wanna Go Out
By Walker Evans, Sam Weller & Sheridan Koehler

BALLARD FILM STUDENTS WIN REGIONAL FESTIVAL

Nate Sawtell, Dylan Spence, and Louis Weissman have been named winners in the Teen Division of the 35th Annual Young People’s Film & Video Festival for their digital film Safe at Last.

This competitive regional festival is coordinated by the Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon. It accepts entries from students in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Alaska. This year’s winners were selected from over 300 entries by a panel of filmmakers and educators. Celebrating originality, freshness, authenticity and conviction in the voices of young filmmakers, the Festival is divided into two sections: a Kids Division of works created by youth K-8, and a Teen Division of works created by teens in grades 9 – 12. This is the seventh year in a row that students in the BHS Video Production Program have been winners at the event.

The Festival Winners of the Teen Division will be screened on Saturday, November 19 at 1 p.m. at the Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium (1219 SW Park, Portland, Oregon). Following the screening, there will be a reception and panel discussion for winners and audience members to meet this year's festival jurors. The event is free, and the public is welcome to attend.

BHS VIDEO STUDENTS HONORED AT REGIONAL EMMY AWARDS

Ballard High School Video Production students Matt Law-Phipps, Tony Meyer and James Vitz-Wong were named winners of the High School Award for Excellence at the 48th Annual Northwest Regional Emmy Awards on Saturday, June 11. The students won the Long-Form (Non-Fiction) category with their documentary Seattle Street Performers.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences gives student awards to recognize the best in student television production. The regional awards celebrate outstanding work from five Northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. Entries are judged by the same professional organization that selects Emmy winners. This makes the fifth year in a row that students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been winners at the event.

Eight other Ballard High School video productions had also been nominated: two in the Long-Form (Non-Fiction) category, one in the Long-Form (Fiction) category, three in the Public Affairs category, and two in the Public Service Announcement category.

FUTURE FILMMAKERS LIGHT UP THE SCREEN

Everyone is invited to a screening of videos produced second semester by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program. The Showing will be Friday, June 10 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard High School auditorium. Included will be short comedies, dramas, public service announcements, and music videos. Tickets are $8 and will be sold at the door. All proceeds will be contributed to the rebuild of our auditorium sound systems. Arrive early! The Showing routinely packs the auditorium and people have been turned away.

This screening will feature a variety of productions recently honored by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences as well as film festivals such as the National Film Festival for Talented Youth and the national high school film and video festival coordinated by Temple University’s School of Film & Media Arts in Philadelphia (the “Derek Freese”).

SIFF FEATURES WORK BY BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL VIDEO STUDENTS

The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) will be featuring two shorts by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program as part of FutureWave, its showcase for young filmmakers.

The first short, Reflection, was produced and directed by Blair Scott and Sheridan Koehler. It explores the conflicts of conscience. The second short, Henry, was produced and directed by Amelia Elizalde, Levi Friedman, Sean Hendricks and Sheridan Koehler. The documentary pits the prolific Seattle muralist of the title against art critic Regina Hackett.

The shorts will be screened on Monday, May 30 at 4 pm in the SIFF Cinema. Both shorts have already garnered multiple honors, including nominations from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for Student Television Awards of Excellence, Awards of Excellence from the Northwest High School Film Festival, and winning the Young People’s Film & Video Festival.

Just click on the title of this post to purchase tickets for the SIFF FutureWave screening.

NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM FESTIVAL HONORS BHS PRODUCERS

Students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program won multiple awards and honors at the 13th annual Northwest High School Film Festival at the Cinerama Theater in downtown Seattle on May 24. This is the largest and longest running festival for high school filmmakers in the Puget Sound region. This year 320 productions were entered in the competition from 23 high schools. Ballard High School led the pack of winners with a total of 10 awards and honors.

The festival was judged by a panel of 26 industry professionals and college media professors. The event was organized by the Media Educators Excellence Team (MEET) and sponsored by Adobe, the Art Institute of Seattle, DigiPen, Shoreline Community College, Key Code Media, and Apple.

BHS productions were honored in six different categories, reflecting the diverse skills and talents of Ballard’s video students. Some of the winning productions will be shown on Friday, June 10 at The Showing, a screening of work by students in the BHS Video Production Program. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $8.00 and will be sold at the door.

Ballard’s Northwest High School Film Festival winners:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Comedic Narrative
The Dummy
Rikke Heinecke, Sarah McDowell, Allie Stock, James Vitz-Wong

Documentary
Henry
Amelia Elizalde, Levi Friedman, Sean Hendricks, Sheridan Koehler

News Feature
Leisure Biking
Vann Fulfs, Alex Guettler, Helen Miller

Public Service Announcement
Earth Corps
Misko Crkon, Alex Johnston-Thomas, William Westgaard

Sports
Mountain Biking
Alex James, Cooper Rickards, John Paul Umbao


HONORABLE MENTIONS

Commercial
Hollywood Apocalypse
Jack Hamilton, Ashleigh Klemetson, Blair Scott

Documentary
Tilted Thunder Railbirds
Molly Bowman, Jack Hamilton, Kirsten Zeller

Public Service Announcement
Plenty of Road
Brendan Inkley, Stephan Neu-Yagle, Dylan Spence

Share the Road: Sidewalk
Elise Neroutsos, Ivy Vance

Teens Against Tobacco Use
Emma Hutchison, Lizzy O’Laughlin, Allie Stock

FUTURE FILMMAKERS LAUNCHED FROM BALLARD VIDEO PRODUCTION PROGRAM

The following nine seniors (six girls and three boys) in Ballard High School’s Video Production Program will be pursuing film and television in college next fall, many of them at the top programs in the country. Some of these programs are highly selective, admitting only 3% (or less) of all applicants. Between them, these seniors have won 31 awards and honors for their work from international, national and regional film festivals as well as professional organizations. They have also won $270,000 in competitive college scholarships.

• Rikke Heinecke will be studying filmmaking in the School of Cinema Arts at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

• Sydney Jarol and Sheridan Koehler will be studying filmmaking at Columbia College of the Arts in Chicago.

• Ashleigh Klemetson will be pursuing video production and media studies at Central Washington University.

• Lizzy O’Laughlin will be studying broadcast journalism at Temple University in Philadelphia.

• Dylan Miller and Blair Scott will be studying filmmaking at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

• Justin Smith-Mercado will be attending the Film & Video Communications Program at Seattle Central Community College.

• Chloe Warner-Moyer will be attending the Creative Producing Program at Chapman University near Los Angeles.

AND THE NOMINEES ARE...

Nine productions by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been nominated for NATAS Northwest High School Awards of Excellence. The Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the professional organization that gives the Emmy awards) presents these awards to honor the best in student television production. These regional awards celebrate the most outstanding productions from five northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. The winners will be announced at the 48th Annual Northwest Regional Emmy Awards on June 11th.

Ballard’s nominations span four categories, showing the quality and diversity of our producers. These are the nominations by category.

Public Affairs:
Faces by Dana Baumgartner, Emma Hutchison & Chloe Warner-Moyer

Without Our Cars by Sydney Jarol, Dylan Miller & Ryan Zemke

Henry by Amelia Elizalde, Sheridan Koehler, Levi Friedman & Sean Hendricks

Long Form, Non-Fiction:
Bar Ink by Spencer Miller, Georgia Peck, Robyn Cochrane & Justin Smith-Mercado

Seattle Street Performers by Tony Meyer, James Vitz-Wong & Matt Law-Phipps

Split Mind by Rikke Heinecke, Blair Scott, John Christensen & Allie Stock

Long-Form, Fiction:
Buy, Sell, Trade by Emily Deering, Amelia Elizalde & Blair Scott

Public Service Announcement:
Plenty of Road by Brendan Inkley, Stephen Neu-Yagle & Dylan Spence

Share the Road: Sidewalk by Elise Neroutsos & Ivy Vance

The nominees were selected by industry professionals in the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. This makes the fifth year in a row that Ballard High School video producers have been nominated. Last year they received 6 nominations and won awards in the categories of Public Service Announcement and Dramatic Presentation.

BHS video students will present new works completed this semester at The Showing on Friday, June 10 at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $8 and will be sold at the door.

On April 17, Justin Amorratanasuchad died in an accident in Boston where he was attending film school. He died doing what he loved, filming. He had been a student at Emerson College since graduating from Ballard High School in 2008. A memorial for Justin is scheduled for Saturday, June 11 at Seattle Unity Church from 1-5 pm.

Justin had walked away from a full scholarship at the Northwest School in order to enroll in Ballard High's Video Production Program, where he spent three years. He was a very talented filmmaker and an inspiration to everyone in the program, both students and staff. It was impossible not to enjoy working with him. When he was happy, it was contagious. His smile lit up the room. Friends and professors from Emerson also noted these same traits, affirming that Justin's talent was maturing.


Justin’s productions are still used as examples to teach new students. He had a gift for storytelling and visualizing ideas. He also had a great sense for editing and was as comfortable in front of the camera as he was behind it.

Justin won a top prize with his very first production of his first semester. By the time he had graduated from high school, he had won a National Student Television Award for Writing from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Northwest Region), a Jury Prize for Best Experimental Film from the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, Best PSA from the Westport Youth Film Festival, and Awards of Excellence in the categories of Commercial, News, and Dramatic Narrative from the Northwest High School Film Festival.

Justin is survived by his mother, Blair Brooke-Weiss, and step-father Craig Brooke-Weiss of Seattle, Jesse Amorratanasuchad, of Seattle, a stepbrother, Levi Corgonell-Weiss, of Seattle, his half-sisters, Eve and May Amorratanasuchad, of Thailand; and his grandparents, Robert Brooke, of Phoenix, and Dallas and Ellen Mustoe, of England. His parents and friends have created a Justin Amorratanasuchad Scholarship. Justin was only able to attend a top school like Emerson because of the financial support of his grandfather. This scholarship will support public high school students who have the talent, but lack the financial resource, to pursue college studies in film and television.

Ballard High School Filmmakers to be Featured at International Festival

Ten short films by 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. This year, NFFTY received nearly 700 entries from all across the U.S. as well as 40 other countries. NFFTY opens at the Seattle Cinerama Theater on Thursday, April 28 and continues through Sunday 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.

Attention by Dana Baumgartner, Mia Montagna, Elise Neroutsos & Chloe Warner-Moyer

Buy-Sell-Trade by Emily Deering, Amelia Elizalde & Blair Scott

Dead End by Emma Hutchison, Kaila Lafferty, Karli Lafferty & Kirsten Zeller

Dino Utopia by Lily Bennett, Levi Friedman, Blair Scott & Ryan Zemke

Faces by Dana Baumgartner, Emma Hutchison & Chloe Warner-Moyer

Mr. Clean by Jamie Bennett, Louis Weissman & Maddy Yaple

Signs by Rikke Heinecke, Tony Meyer & Lizzy O’Laughlin

Super Zeroes by Lily Bennett, Levi Friedman & Sheridan Koehler

To Do by Mia Montagna, Elise Neroutsos & Ivy Vance

Without Our Cars by Sydney Jarol, Dylan Miller & Ryan Zemke

Between them, these shorts have previously been honored by the Young People’s Film & Video Festival, the nation-wide Derek Freese High School Film Festival coordinated by Temple University’s School of Film & Media Arts, and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Several of these films have been further honored by being selected for the high-profile Opening and Closing Night screenings. Signs has been programmed for Opening Night at the Cinerama, while Attention, Buy-Sell-Trade, Super Zeroes and To Do will be screened Closing Night.

Immediately following the Closing Night screening, Jury Prizes and Audience Awards will be announced. However, like the Sundance Film Festival, NFFTY includes forums on filmmaking in addition to screenings and awards. 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.) A growing list of sponsors and partners, such as Bing, Volvo, Nike 6.0, and IMBEE have paved the way for this fourth annual event.

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMS WIN NATIONAL FESTIVAL

Seven works by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program won prizes at the 15th Annual Derek Freese High School Film & Video Festival. This prestigious festival draws competition from high school filmmakers throughout the nation and is judged by acclaimed filmmakers and professors from Temple University’s School of Film & Media Arts. The festival was held at TU in Philadelphia last Saturday.

Ballard High School filmmakers won every award in the documentary category. (This is quite an honor, as Temple is widely regarded as one of the best schools of documentary filmmaking in the country.) First Prize went to Robyn Cochrane, Spencer Miller, Georgia Peck & Justin Smith-Mercado for Bar Ink, the story of a youth whom manages to discover and develop his talent in spite of incarceration. Amelia Elizalde, Levi Friedman, Sean Hendricks & Sheridan Koehler took Second Prize for Henry, about the Seattle muralist of that name. Third Prize went to Tony Meyer, Matt Law-Phipps & James Vitz-Wong for Seattle Street Musicians. John Christensen, Rikke Heinecke, Blair Scott & Allie Stock won the Best Documentary Screenplay prize for Split Mind, the story of a family’s experience with schizophrenia.

In the Best Fiction category, Ballard High School students won three prizes. First Prize went to Emily Deering, Amelia Elizalde & Blair Scott for the subtle dramatic short Buy, Sell, Trade. Second Prize went to Matt Law-Phipps, Tony Meyer & Ryan Zemke for their dystopian vision, Real World. (Both these prize-winners will have their Seattle premiere at The Showing on Friday, February 11th at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $5, and will be sold at the door.) Best Fiction Screenplay went to Rikke Heinecke, Tony Meyer & Lizzy O’Laughlin for Signs, a story of hope for the homeless.

This marks the eighth year in a row that productions by students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been Finalists in the Derek Freese Festival, and the third time they have also won top prizes.

The festival is held in memory of Derek Freese, a gifted Temple University film student. His family created the Derek Freese Foundation in his name. The national festival is a joint project of this Foundation and the TU School of Film and Media Arts, and aims to celebrate and support excellent young filmmakers.

SEVEN BHS FILMS FINALISTS IN NATIONAL FESTIVAL

Seven productions by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been named Finalists of the 15th Annual Derek Freese High School Film & Video Festival. This prestigious festival draws competition from high school filmmakers across the country and is judged by professors from Temple University’s renowned film school and industry professionals. The festival will take place in Philadelphia at Temple’s School of Film and Media Arts on Saturday, December 11 at 1 pm.

Finalists for Best Documentary are Bar Ink by Spencer Miller, Robyn Cochrane, Justin Smith-Mercado, & Georgia Peck; Henry by Amelia Elizalde, Levi Friedman, Sheridan Koehler & Sean Hendricks; Seattle Street Performers by James Vitz-Wong, Tony Meyer & Matt Law-Phipps; and Split Mind by Rikke Heinecke, John Christensen, Blair Scott & Allie Stock.

Finalists for Best Fiction Film are Buy, Sell, Trade by Emily Deering, Amelia Elizalde & Blair Scott; The Real World by Matt Law-Phipps, Tony Meyer & Ryan Zemke; and Signs by Rikke Heinecke, Tony Meyer & Lizzy O'Laughlin.

Several of these works have also been nominated for Best Screenplay. The envelopes will be opened at the festival, and awards will be presented by filmmakers from the festival jury.

Some of these finalists will have their Seattle premiere at The Showing in the BHS auditorium on Friday, February 11 at 7 pm. Tickets are $5 and will be sold at the door.

This marks the eighth year in a row that productions by students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been Finalists in the Derek Freese Festival. Some have also won top prizes.

The festival is held in memory of Derek Freese, a gifted Temple University film student. His family created the Derek Freese Foundation in his name. The festival is a joint project of this Foundation and the TU School of Film and Media Arts, and aims to celebrate and support excellent young filmmakers.

DON'T MISS "THE SHOWING" PREMIERE

Everyone is invited to a screening of new work by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program. The Showing will be Friday, February 11 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard High School auditorium. Included will be short comedies and dramas as well as public service announcements and commercials. Tickets are $5, and will be sold at the door. All proceeds benefit students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program.

Multiple productions screened at The Showing last winter went on to awards and honors at various film festivals. Be the first to see tomorrow’s award-winners! Be sure to arrive early. Prior screenings have filled the auditorium, and people have been turned away.

NINE BHS FILMS NAMED SEMI-FINALISTS AT NATIONAL FESTIVAL

Nine works by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been named semi-finalists in the 15th Annual Derek Freese High School Film & Video Festival last Sunday. This prestigious festival draws competition from high school filmmakers throughout the nation and is judged by professors from Temple University’s renowned film school, acclaimed filmmakers, and members of the Derek Freese Foundation.

The jury is currently selecting finalists, and will make an announcement next week. The festival is slated for 1 pm, Saturday, December 11 at The REEL, Temple University’s Student Cinema. There will be an award ceremony and reception after the screening.

Ballard’s semi-finalists are:

The documentary Bar Ink by Robyn Cochrane, Georgia Peck, Spencer Miller & Justin Smith-Mercado

The dramatic short Buy, Sell, Trade by Emily Deering, Amelia Elizalde & Blair Scott

The documentary Henry by Amelia Elizalde, Levi Friedman, Sean Hendricks & Sheridan Koehler

The dramatic short The Real World by Matt Law-Phipps, Tony Meyer & Ryan Zemke

The documentary Seattle Street Performers by Matt Law-Phipps, Tony Meyer & James Vitz-Wong

The visual story Signs by Rikke Heinecke, Tony Meyer & Lizzy O’Laughlin

The documentary Split Mind by John Christensen, Rikke Heinecke, Blair Scott & Allie Stock

The documentary Tanaholics by Kaila Lafferty, Elise Neroutsos & Alex Papac

The documentary Without Our Cars by Sydney Jarol, Dylan Miller & Ryan Zemke

BHS video students have been finalists in this festival every year since they began entering in 2004. They have also won top prizes.

BALLARD FILM STUDENTS WIN REGIONAL FESTIVAL

Four productions by students in the BHS Video Production Program are among the winners of the 34th Annual Young People’s Film & Video Festival. The winners are the short dramas Reflection (by Sheridan Koehler & Blair Scott) and Signs (by Rikke Heinecke, Lizzy O’Laughlin & Tony Meyer) as well as the documentaries Bar Ink (by Robyn Cochrane, Spencer Miller, Georgia Peck & Justin Smith-Mercado) and Henry (by Amelia Elizalde, Levi Friedman, Sean Hendricks & Sheridan Koehler).

This competitive festival accepts entries from students in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Alaska. It is coordinated by the Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon. The Festival encourages young people to “use film and video to creatively express personal concerns, explore important social issues, and share engaging stories about the world as they see it.” Submissions were judged on the basis of age/grade, originality, artistic merit, technical achievement, and conviction in investigation of subject matter. A jury of professional media artists made the selections. Only 16 productions were chosen for the festival from over 150 entries.

The visual story Reflection explores the moral consequences of decisions. Signs charts the inner transformation of a homeless man as he prepares to leave the street. It's also a story without dialogue. The two winning documentaries have contrasting subject matter as well. Bar Ink tells the story of a former convict (imprisoned at an early age) that managed – despite the odds – to discover and develop his talent behind bars and embarked on a successful career once released. Henry is a face-off between the prolific Seattle muralist of that name and Seattle art critic Regina Hackett.

The Festival Winners’ Program will be screened on Sunday, November 7 at 1 p.m. at the Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium (1219 SW Park, Portland, Oregon). Following the screening, the Film Center will host a reception where the winners can mix with this year's festival jurors. The event is free, and the public is welcome to attend.

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE CELEBRATES SEATTLE BLUES LEGEND

Ever wonder why some people with immense talent are marginalized while others, without such gifts, become household names? That’s one of the questions explored by Who is Duffy Bishop and Why is She Not World Famous?, a documentary on the Seattle blues icon. It will premiere in Seattle on Saturday, September 25 at 7:30 pm in the Ballard High School auditorium.

The documentary was produced by Bryan Johnston (most recently of KOMO and KIRO-TV). It was co-produced by Matt Law-Phipps and Ryan Zemke of the Ballard High School Video Production Program. During their senior year, Matt and Ryan had formed their own production company Space Time Productions. When Bryan Johnston approached teacher Matt Lawrence looking for talented young filmmakers to co-produce his project, Space Time Productions found another client. Bryan mentored the students as they expanded their production skills in a professional environment.

Following the 30-minute documentary, Duffy Bishop will perform live. Proceeds from the event benefit Seattle breast cancer awareness and research. Tickets (sold at the door) will be $10 for adults and $5 for students.

1 REEL FILM FESTIVAL HONORS BHS FILMMAKERS

Seattle’s Bumbershoot is host to SIFF’s 1 Reel Film Festival, a showcase of short films from around the world. This year several winners of the Northwest High School Film Festival join the program – including two by Ballard High School Video Production students. The Crumb, by Emily Deering, Karli Lafferty, Sarah Maloney & Taylor Rubright, is a humorous look at the extremes of obsessive compulsion. The short drama Reflection, by Sheridan Koehler & Blair Scott, examines the cost of bad choices. Both were student Emmy nominees at the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards last spring and Official Selections at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth in addition to winning Awards of Excellence at the NWHSFF.

The showcase will be screened at SIFF Cinema from noon to 1 pm on Sunday, September 5. The public is welcome to attend. Bumbershoot 2010 tickets are on sale online and will also be available at the gates at Seattle Center on Bumbershoot weekend. One entrance ticket gets you a full days worth of entertainment – there is no separate ticketing for the 1 Reel Film Festival. For more ticketing information, visit www.bumbershoot.org.

YOU'RE INVITED - DON'T MISS THE PARTY!

In honor of Ballard’s victory at NFFTY’s 48 Hour Film Off, NFFTY sponsor Vitaminwater is throwing a party for Ballard High School video production students and their friends at the Vitaminwater Social Club. The all-ages club is located at 1001 E. Pike Street at the corner of Pike and 10th on Capitol Hill. The party is slated for Friday, July 16.

It will begin at 9 pm with an hour of food and music, followed by an hour of short productions from Ballard High School filmmakers. There will then be music and dancing until midnight, and it’s all free!

In addition to the NFFTY award-winning short Charlie, the screening will include student Emmy winner The Crumb, student Emmy nominee Dead End, and national high school festival finalist Dino Utopia. Two short documentaries on Seattle artists will also be featured, as well as new works that have never been shown before.

All Ballard High School Video Production Program students, their friends and families are invited!

AND THE WINNERS ARE...BALLARD VIDEO STUDENTS

Two productions by Ballard High School video students were winners at the 47th Annual Northwest Regional Emmy Awards on Saturday, June 5. Loose Change by Emma Hutchison, Georgia Peck & Alex Scheller, won in the Public Service Announcement category, and The Crumb by Emily Deering, Karli Lafferty, Sarah Maloney & Taylor Rubright won in the Dramatic Presentation category.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences gives student awards to recognize the best in student television production. The regional awards celebrate outstanding productions from five northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. This makes the fourth year in a row that students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been winners at the event.

Four other Ballard High School video productions had also been nominated. Dead End by Emma Hutchison, Kaila Lafferty, Karli Lafferty & Kirsten Zeller, Manimal by Levi Friedman, Matt Law-Phipps, Esther Magasis & Ryan Zemke, and Reflection by Sheridan Koehler & Blair Scott were nominees in the Dramatic Presentation category. Swine Flu Apocalypse by John Christensen, Conner Jarvie & Matt Law-Phipps was a nominee in the Public Service Announcement category. For more information on the NATAS student television awards, visit www.natasnw.org.

NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM FESTIVAL HONORS BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCERS

Students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program won multiple awards and honors at the 12th annual Northwest High School Film Festival at the Cinerama Theater in downtown Seattle on May 18. This is the largest and longest running festival for high school filmmakers in the Puget Sound region. This year 267 productions were entered in the competition from 22 high schools. Ballard High School led the pack of winners with a total of 14 awards and honors. In addition, seniors Emily Deering and Levi Friedman were each presented with $1,000 scholarships to The Prodigy Camp, a week-long summer workshop for young filmmakers led by writer/director Rick Stevenson of The Film School.

The festival was judged by a panel of 18 industry professionals and college media professors. The event was organized by the Media Educators Excellence Team (MEET) and sponsored by Adobe, the Art Institute of Seattle, Canon, DigiPen, Glazier’s Camera, Seattle University, and Shoreline Community College. For more information on the NWHSFF, visit nwhsff.org.

BHS productions were honored in five different categories, reflecting the diverse skills and talents of Ballard’s video students. Some of the winning productions will be shown on Friday, June 11 at The Showing, a screening of work by students in the BHS Video Production Program. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium. There is a suggested donation of $5.00.

Ballard’s Northwest High School Film Festival winners:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Comedic Narrative
The Crumb
Emily Deering, Karli Lafferty, Sarah Maloney, Taylor Rubright

Dino Utopia
Lily Bennett, Levi Friedman, Blair Scott, Ryan Zemke

Documentary
Bar Ink
Robyn Cochrane, Spencer Miller, Georgia Peck, Justin Smith-Mercado

Dramatic Narrative
ReflectionSheridan Koehler, Blair Scott

News Feature
Stick With It
Tinh Pham, Bryant Rubright, Dylan Spence

Public Service Announcement
Ballard NW Senior Center: Gardening
Amelia Elizalde, Rikke Heinecke, Ashleigh Klemetson, Ryan Zemke

Ballard NW Senior Center: Knitting
Amelia Elizalde, Rikke Heinecke, Ashleigh Klemetson, Ryan Zemke

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Comedic Narrative
Finding the Music
Sheridan Koehler, Alex Scheller, Blair Scott

Manimal
Levi Friedman, Matthew Law-Phipps, Esther Magasis, Ryan Zemke

Documentary
Without Our Cars
Sydney Jarol, Dylan Miller, Ryan Zemke

Dramatic Narrative
Dead End
Emma Hutchison, Kaila Lafferty, Karli Lafferty, Kirsten Zeller

News Feature
The Beautiful Game
Jacob Scott, Colin Shively, Edwin Tellez

Public Service Announcement
Loose Change
Emma Hutchison, Georgia Peck, Alex Scheller

Make a Wish
Daniel Maldonado, Elizabeth O’Laughlin, Allie Stock

EMMY ORGANIZATION NOMINATES BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL VIDEO STUDENTS

Six productions by Ballard High School video students have been honored with student Emmy nominations at the regional level. The awards are a project of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the professional organization that gives the Emmy awards) and honor the best in student television production. The regional awards celebrate the most outstanding productions from five northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. The winners will be announced at the 47th Annual Northwest Regional Emmy Awards on June 5th.

Four of the nominations are in the Dramatic Presentation category.

The Crumb by Emily Deering, Karli Lafferty,
Sarah Maloney & Taylor Rubright

Dead End by Emma Hutchison, Kaila Lafferty,
Karli Lafferty & Kirsten Zeller

Manimal by Levi Friedman, Matt Law-Phipps,
Esther Magasis & Ryan Zemke

Reflection by Sheridan Koehler & Blair Scott

Only six productions received nominations in this category, so odds are good that BHS producers will take home the award on June 5.

The other two nominations are in the Public Service Announcement category.

Loose Change (produced for Real Change) by
Emma Hutchison, Georgia Peck &Alex Scheller

Swine Flu Apocalypse (produced for the Teen
Health Center) by John Christensen, Conner Jarvie & Matt Law-Phipps

This makes the fourth year in a row that Ballard High School video producers have been nominated. Last year they received 5 nominations and won student Emmy awards in the Public Affairs and Technical Achievement categories.

BHS video students will present new works completed this semester at 7 pm on Friday, June 11 at the BHS auditorium. Admission is free, but there is a suggested donation of $5.

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCERS WIN NFFTY FILMMAKING COMPETITION

Ballard High School won the 48 Hour Film Off at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) on Saturday, May 1. The competition began at the conclusion of NFFTY Opening Night on Thursday. To ensure that no pre-production had been done before then, the teams were given critical props, a key line of spoken dialogue, and a theme that must be prominently featured in the short.

Students then worked around the clock to produce a 3 minute narrative short in only 48 hours. BHS video students John Christensen, Sydney Jarol, Matt Law-Phipps, Rikke Heinecke & Ryan Zemke represented Ballard, competing against production teams from Bellevue, Franklin, and Mount Si high schools. Each team worked on scripts, storyboarding, production schedules, shooting and editing in order to deliver a finished short in time for the Action Sports screening on Saturday night.

A jury of four professional filmmakers, along with audience voting, selected the BHS short, Charlie, as the winner. The winning producers received Nike 6.0, Skullcandy gear, and a $2,500 scholarship for the BHS Video Production Program. The winning short will be screened, along with other award-winning work from students in the BHS Video Production Program, at The Showing in the BHS auditorium on Friday, June 11 at 7 pm.