ABOUT THE DIGITAL FILMMAKING PROGRAM

The Digital Filmmaking Program is part of the free public education at Ballard High School, and is open to BHS students of all grades.  Since its beginning in the fall of 2001, students in the program have won hundreds of awards at regional, national, and international film festivals.  Based on their portfolios they have won honors from the National YoungArts Foundation and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (at the National and Northwest Emmy Awards) and consistently gained admission to prestigious college programs of film and television, sometimes with large scholarships and advanced placement.  (Recent program graduates have attended the Australian Film, Television & Radio School, Chapman University, Columbia College of Chicago, Emerson College, Loyola Marymount University, New York University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the University of Southern California – all college programs ranked by the Hollywood Reporter as among the best for film and television production in the world.)

Some of the students have even made history.  Jesse Harris (’04) wrote and directed a feature film for his senior project.  The day he graduated, he learned that the LA-based FilmMates wanted to purchase the film for theatrical release.  (It opened in Landmark Theaters the following April.)  This makes Jesse the youngest person ever to write and direct a feature film that received multi-state theatrical release.  In 2007, Kyle Seago (’07) and Jesse Harris (’04) co-founded the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY).  It has since become the largest youth film festival in the world.

The program provides professional production internships through a variety of media organizations and businesses, television shows, and feature films.  Numerous program alumni have gone on to careers in the industry: writing or producing series television programs in Los Angeles, producing music videos for major artists, directing feature films and commercials, working on the camera crew or art department of feature films, producing media for major corporations, or working as broadcast journalists.

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS SWEEP DOCUMENTARY PRIZES

Students from the BHS Digital Filmmaking Program swept both Documentary awards at the 2015 Dominique Dunne Film Competition.  The competition was one of the first events in the nation to showcase the work of young filmmakers and has attracted international entries.  It has a distinguished Advisory Board 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, The Good Wife) and producer/ director/actor Ed Sherin (Law & Order).  The competition awards only four prizes: two for Dramatic, and two for Documentary.  Only schools with outstanding film programs are invited to participate. 

Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy and Leo Pfeifer won First Prize in the Documentary category for Clipped Wings, an examination of the ban on gays in the Boy Scouts of America.  Second Prize went to Rachel Cole, Jaya Flanary and Meagen Tajalle for Raven Rock, a ranch that treats abused children through equine therapy.  The awards come with cash prizes.

Coleman Andersen and Leo Pfeifer also received an Honorable Mention in the Dramatic Narrative category for their short film Stolen. 

To see the films, visit the BHS Digital Filmmaking Program at www.vimeo.com/bhsfilmprogram .

BALLARD FILM STUDENTS WIN GRAND JURY PRIZE AT SIFF

The Grand Jury of the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) selected the short documentary Audio Input, by Duncan Boszko, Jack O’Neal, Piper Phillips & Sho Schrock, for the WaveMaker Award.  The prize was presented yesterday at the Golden Space Needle Awards, the culminating event of the festival.  The WaveMaker Award is given annually to the best film shown in the FutureWave screening.  This screening features the best shorts by filmmakers younger than 19 from around the world.  The jury selected the production “for its insightful and engaging portrait of podcasting, an audio art form, through a collage of interviews and images.” 

To screen Audio Input, visit the Digital Filmmaking Program’s vimeo page at www.vimeo.com/bhsfilmprogram .  

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS WIN BIG AT EMMY AWARDS

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Students in the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program won five High School Awards of Excellence at the regional Emmy Awards on June 5.  Coleman Andersen & Leo Pfeifer won the awards for Short Form Fiction and Writing for their film Stolen.  The drama concerns the price of revenge.  For their documentary Clipped Wings, Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy and Leo Pfeifer won the awards for Long Form Non-Fiction and Photographer/Editor.  (This is the fourth year in a row that the award for Photographer/Editor has gone to Ballard film students.)  Clipped Wings explores the impact of the ban on gays in the Boy Scouts of America.  Finally, Leo Pfeifer and Raven Two Feathers won the Short Form Non-Fiction award for GeoForce: A Journey to Understanding.  This promotional documentary examines the strategies and success of a University of Alaska field geology program for rural youth.

The Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) presents High School Awards of Excellence to celebrate and promote the most outstanding high school television productions from five Northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.  Students from the BHS Digital Filmmaking Program led the pack of winners this year, taking awards in five of the six categories in which they had received nominations.      

The award winning productions can be screened on the program vimeo site at www.vimeo.com/bhsfilmprogram .  

NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM FESTIVAL HONORS BHS FILMMAKERS

Students in the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program led the pack of winners at the Northwest High School Film Festival.  Twenty-five high schools were in competition for awards in twelve different production categories.  BHS film students won 15 awards and honors across seven categories.  The awards were presented, and the winners screened, at the Cinerama Theater in downtown Seattle. 

The Northwest High School Film Festival is the largest and longest running festival for high school filmmakers in the Puget Sound region.  It is judged by a panel of industry professionals and college media professors.  In addition to awarding films, they identify promising filmmakers for college scholarships.  This year, BHS film students Coleman Andersen, Duncan Boszko, Rachel Cole, Jaya Flanary, Duncan Gowdy, Leo Pfeifer & Meagen Tajalle all received $5,000 scholarship offers from festival sponsors Cornish College of the Arts and/or The Seattle Film Institute.  The event was organized by the Media Educators Excellence Team (MEET), an inter-district organization of high school media production teachers.  Additional sponsors Adobe, the Cinerama Theatre, Highline Community College, and Vulcan Enterprises helped pave the way for this 17^th annual event.  For more information on the festival, visit www.nwhsff.weebly,org .

All the awarded Ballard productions initially premiered at the Ballard Film Festival (BFF).  This event screens new films by BHS Digital Filmmaking students at the end of every semester.  The next BFF will be on Friday, June 5 at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium.  Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and will be sold at the door.

 

Here are Ballard’s Northwest High School Film Festival winners by category:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Comedic Narrative

  Jones Ave

  Rachel Cole, Jaya Flanary, Meagen Tajalle

Commercial

  Nerd!

  Bella Anderson, Jonny Cechony, Kaya Coleman-Harrison, Simon Gibson

Documentary

  Audio Input

  Duncan Boszko, Jack O’Neal, Piper Phillips, Sho Schrock

  Clipped Wings

  Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy, Leo Pfeifer

Dramatic Narrative

  Stolen

  Coleman Andersen, Leo Pfeifer

Educational

  A Trip to the Groovies

  Jaya Flanary, Sho Schrock

News/Sports Feature

  Full Effort on the Floor

  Duncan Gowdy, Hawk Ticehurst

Public Service Announcement

  Food Lifeline

  Duncan Gowdy, Zach Green, Leo Pfeifer

HONORABLE MENTIONS 

Comedic Narrative

  Fly Me to the Moon

  Miles Anderson, Jasper Cote, PJ Hase, Gideon Wolfe

  Practicing Parenthood

  Percy Boyle, Avery Davis, Duncan Kastner, Aaron Miller  

Commercial

  Blue Highway Games

  Brian Cropp, Lyric Gonzalez, Sid Johnson  

Documentary

  Delivering the Dream

  Julian Amrine, Lorenzo Rossi, Raven Two Feathers, Josh Vredevoogd

  Raven Rock

  Rachel Cole, Jaya Flanary, Meagen Tajalle

Educational

  Spirit Week Announcement

  Will Erstad, Victoria O’Laughlin, Hawk Ticehurst

Public Service Announcement

  Membership

  Ruby Anderson, PJ Hase, Cameron Miller

ACADEMY NOMINATES BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS

The Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced nominees for the High School Awards of Excellence. These awards celebrate the most outstanding student productions from five Northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Productions are nominated by NATAS industry professionals. Students from the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program earned eleven nominations, more than any other school or organization in the five-state region. The winners will be announced on June 6 at the 52nd Annual Regional Emmy Awards ceremony. Ballard’s nominations span six categories, reflecting the diverse skills students learn in the program. These are the nominations by category.

Short Form Fiction:
Fly Me to the Moon by Miles Andersen, Jasper Cote, PJ Hase & Gideon Wolfe

Stolen by Coleman Andersen & Leo Pfeifer


Short Form Non-Fiction:
Audio Input by Duncan Boszko, Jack O’Neal, Piper Phillips & Sho Schrock-Manabe

GeoFORCE: A Journey to Understanding by LeoPfeifer & Raven Two Feathers

Raven Rock by Rachel Cole, Jaya Flanary & Meagen Tajalle


Long Form Non-Fiction:
Clipped Wings by Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy & Leo Pfeifer


Public Service Announcement:
Food Lifeline by Duncan Gowdy, Leo Pfeifer & Zach Green

Membership by Ruby Anderson, PJ Hase & Cameron Miller


Photographer/Editor:
Clipped Wings by Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy & Leo Pfeifer


Writer:
Clipped Wings by Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy & Leo Pfeifer

Stolen by Coleman Andersen & Leo Pfeifer

This makes the ninth year in a row that Ballard High School film students have been nominated by the Academy. Last year they also received 11 nominations, and won the categories of Short Form Fiction and Photographer/Editor.

New productions by students in the BHS Digital Filmmaking Program will be screened at the Ballard Film Festival on Friday, June 5th at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults.

BALLARD FILM STUDENTS WIN BEST DRAMA AT CINEYOUTH

Coleman Andersen and Leo Pfeifer won Best Drama in the junior division at the CineYouth Awards last Saturday night, May 9, at Columbia College Chicago. They won the prize for their short film Stolen.

CineYouth is a project of the Chicago International Film Festival. This annual film showcase celebrates shorts by filmmakers 21 years old and younger from around the world. As winner of the prize for Best Drama, Stolen will screen in the CineYouth "Best of the Fest" at the 51st Chicago International Film Festival next October.

Both Andersen and Pfeifer are third year students in the BHS Digital Filmmaking Program. Andersen, a senior, will be continuing his film education at NYU next fall. Pfeifer, a junior, also plans to study filmmaking in college.

BALLARD FILMS TO SCREEN AT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS

Three productions by nine students in the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program have been chosen for screening at international film festivals this May.

Two of the productions will be screened at the Chicago International Film Festival. Raven Rock, by Rachel Cole, Jaya Flanary & Meagen Tajalle is a documentary about a treatment program that pairs survivors of childhood abuse with abused horses for mutual healing. Stolen, by Coleman Andersen and Leo Pfeifer, is a dramatic short about the price of crime. Both films will be screened at the 11th annual CineYouth event, May 7 – 9. CineYouth is an annual youth film showcase celebrating short films made by filmmakers 21 years old and younger from around the world. For more information, visit www.cinemachicago.org/cineyouth/ .

Audio Input, by Duncan Boszko, Jack O’Neal, Piper Phillips & Sho Schrock, is an Official Selection of the Seattle International Film Festival. This short documentary explores the Seattle podcasting scene. It will be screened in the FutureWave Shorts program at SIFF on Monday, May 25. The FutureWave event features the best shorts by filmmakers younger than 18 years from around the world. For more information, visit www.siff.net/festival-2015 .

BALLARD FILMMAKERS WIN AT NFFTY

Students from Ballard High School's Digital Filmmaking Program took two prizes at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY).

Lyric Gonzalez, Bergen Johnson, Leo Pfeifer, Stephanie Shao, and Meagen Tajalle took 1st Prize in the 48-Hour Film Off. This filmmaking competition gave teams of students from various high school production programs 48 hours to produce a short film that included a given line of dialogue (“It’s a state of mind.”), character (a pirate), and theme (see summer). The Ballard team created a mockumentary about an inept movie pirate. Their prize was a $1,500 donation to Ballard's Digital Filmmaking Program. BHS is now the only school ever to win the competition twice. (They received 2nd Prize last year, and won the competition last time in 2010.)

Ballard filmmakers Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy and Leo Pfeifer also won the Audience Award from NFFTY’s “Come as You Are” program of shorts films. Their winning short was Clipped Wings, a documentary about the ban on gays in the Boy Scouts of America. To see Clipped Wings and other productions from the Ballard Digital Filmmaking Program, visit www.vimeo.com/bhsfilmprogram .

The winner of the 48-Hour Film Off will be screened at the Ballard Film Festival on Friday, June 5 at 7 pm in the Ballard High School auditorium.

NFFTY to Feature Shorts by Ballard High School Filmmakers

Three short films by 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 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 248 films from 30 states and 25 countries. Screeners made the selections from a pool of nearly 1,000 entries. NFFTY opens at the Seattle Cinerama Theater on Thursday, April 23 and continues through Sunday, April 26 at the Seattle Center.

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

Air Pressure by Coleman Andersen, Leo Pfeifer & Josh Vredevoogd

Clipped Wings by Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy & Leo Pfeifer

Stolen by Coleman Andersen & Leo Pfeifer

BHS also has a team competing in the 48-hour Film Off. Teams from 10 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 Lyric Gonzalez, Bergen Johnson, Leo Pfeifer, Stephanie Shao and Meagen Tajalle. You can catch the 48-Hour Film Off – and cast your vote - on Saturday, April 25 at 1:30 pm at the Uptown 1 Theater.

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 ninth annual event.

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKER WINS NATIONAL ARTS AWARD

The National YoungArts Foundation has awarded Coleman Andersen an Honorable Mention in Cinematic Arts in recognition of the “exceptional artistic achievement” evident in his work. The YoungArts program identifies and supports young talent in the areas of music, theater, visual arts, photography, writing, and cinematic arts (motion picture). Coleman’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 Digital Filmmaking Program, Coleman is no stranger to recognition. His short film Air Pressure, created with classmates Leo Pfeifer and Josh Vredevoogd, has already won awards at the Northwest High School Film Festival, Fresh Film Northwest, the Dominique Dunne Film Competition, and the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards. The short concerns a catastrophe at the World Balloon Animal Championships. His documentary Clipped Wings, created with classmates Duncan Gowdy and Leo Pfeifer, has also been a success at festivals and on YouTube, were it has received over 195,000 views. It explores the ban on gays in the Boy Scouts of America.

A senior at BHS, Coleman has gained admission to some of the most competitive and prestigious college programs for film and television production in the country. Next fall he’ll be studying filmmaking at New York University.

This is the second year in a row that a student from Ballard High School’s Digital Filmmaking Program has been awarded by the YoungArts Foundation.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Lily Bennett (Class of 2012)

We live in a competitive culture, school is a competitive environment, and film is a competitive field. By the time I was a junior in high school, I already had a clear idea of how to pursue my goals, but I thought my chances of getting into a film school were slim at best. The path from high school to university appeared to be strict and concrete: must needed all-round outstanding academic and extra-curricular achievements. But by the time I was a junior in high school, I'd not been able to tick off all those boxes. However, I had been able to tick off a few boxes of my own: a strong film portfolio containing official selections at regional, national, and international film festivals, and awards of excellence. I was worried, though. I thought "how much does a college really care about what I've done in a high school film program?"

In 2013 I was accepted into the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). AFTRS is the most rigorous film school in Australia. The schools application process judged on merit, meaning that a panel sat down and evaluated my work. Thanks to the portfolio of narrative shorts, documentaries, music videos, and PSAs that I had created over my four years in Lawrence's classes (as well as an Australian citizenship) I was able to get into my dream school! On my first day of class I realized I had some of the most experience among my classmates with story, camera, lights, and on-set safety. Now, just over a year later, I've worked on countless student productions, Production Assisted on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was a Costume Assistant on the feature film Mad Max Fury Road. This goes to show that one great opportunity leads to the next, and the Ballard Digital Filmmaking Program is the first great opportunity. The work you produce in these classes will be valuable to you in the years ahead. I am so grateful to have been a part of such a program. It opened the doors to my greatest career goals.

BHS Films to be Featured at International Festival

Two films by students from the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program will be screened at the Seattle Children’s Film Festival this weekend. This year, the festival will screen 175 films from 58 different countries. Most of the films were produced by professionals, but all the films are aimed at children and their families. The festival will screen at Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum through February 7.

The two Ballard films will be among 19 by young filmmakers to be featured in the Super Shenanigans: Films by Youth screening this Sunday, January 25 at 7 pm. Great Mime’s Think Alike (by Will Slater, Michael Vitz-Wong & Kiana Wyld) explores a turf war between two competing mimes. Air Pressure (by Coleman Anderson, Leo Pfeifer & Josh Vredevoogd) concerns a disaster at the World Championship Balloon Animal Competition. Both films have previously been honored by a variety of regional and national festivals.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.nwfilmforum.org .

DON’T MISS NEW SHORTS FROM BALLARD’S AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKERS

Everyone is invited to a screening of new work by students in the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program. The Ballard Film Festival (BFF) will be on Saturday, February 7 and Friday, February 20 at 7 pm in the Ballard High School auditorium. The screening will feature short comedies and dramas, advertisements, news features, and documentaries. Tickets ($10 for adults and $5 for students) will be sold at the door. Films that first screen at the BFF routinely take honors at prestigious national and international film festivals and the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards.

Funds raised will benefit students in the Digital Filmmaking Program. Students in the program regularly travel to Los Angeles to tour college schools of film and television, visit program alumni enrolled in these colleges or working in the industry, and meet with film and television professionals. Students have visited Jason Cahill (Writers Guild of America Award winner for The Sopranos) to discuss screenwriting, and Visual Effects Supervisor Bill Powloski (Breaking Bad) to discuss special effects. Ticket sales and donations will make these trips possible for all accepted students and also provide additional production equipment.

BALLARD FILMMAKERS WIN AT FIVE-STATE FESTIVAL

Three short films by students from the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program are winners at 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. Only 10 films were winners at this year’s festival. This is the tenth year in a row that students from Ballard’s Digital Filmmaking Program have been winners at the event.

The winning films include a visual story and two documentaries. The visual story Air Pressure, by Coleman Andersen, Leo Pfeifer & Josh Vredevoogd, is about a disaster at the World Balloon Animal Championship. The film has already been a winner in the Dominique Dunne Film Competition and been featured at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival, and the Northwest High School Film Festival. Clipped Wings, by Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy & Leo Pfeifer, made its festival premiere at the Northwest Film Forum’s regional festival last month. The short documentary explores the impact of the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on Gays. (Clipped Wings has received over 100,000 views online. Check it out at https://vimeo.com/107528934 .) The festival jury also honored Clipped Wings with a Heart Award for “authenticity, originality, and humane treatment of a subject.” The other winning documentary is Raven Rock by Rachel Cole, Jaya Flanary & Meagen Tajalle. It concerns a treatment program that pairs survivors of childhood abuse with abused horses for mutual healing.

The Northwest Film Center also recognized Audio Input - a documentary about the Seattle podcasting scene by Duncan Boszko, Jack O’Neal, Piper Phillips & Sho Schrock – with an Honorable Mention. The festival selected only 5 films for this honor.

A jury of filmmakers and educators screened 80 entries from across the five state region to select winners 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 8 at 1 pm. Filmmakers, film lovers, and families are welcome to attend. To see new work by BHS filmmakers, attend the Ballard Film Festival on Saturday, February 7 or Friday, February 20 at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults or $8 for students. All proceeds support students in the BHS Digital Filmmaking Program.

BHS FILM TO BE FEATURED AT REGIONAL FESTIVAL

Three students in Ballard High School’s Digital Filmmaking Program will have their film featured at the Northwest Film Forum’s Local Sightings Film Festival. This festival is local in a regional sense, as it programs the best works by filmmakers from Oregon to Alaska. Clipped Wings, by Coleman Andersen, Duncan Gowdy and Leo Pfeifer is a short documentary that explores the impact of the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on Gays.

Clipped Wings will screen before Mind Zone – a documentary feature by Portland director Jan Haaken about therapists working in the 113th Army Combat Stress Control detachment. Their mission is contradictory: to protect soldiers from battle fatigue, and to keep these same soldiers in battle.

Clipped Wings and Mind Zone will screen this Sunday, September 28 at 7 pm. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit http://localsightings.nwfilmforum.org/ .

BHS FILMMAKERS WIN AT THE EMMY AWARDS

Five students in the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program won Awards of Excellence at the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards on June 7. Coleman Andersen, Leo Pfeifer and Josh Vredevoogd won best Short Form Fiction for their drama Air Pressure. Julian Amrine and Josh Vredevoogd won best Photographer/Editor for their drama Going it Alone. This is the third year in a row that these awards went to students from the BHS Digital Filmmaking Program.

The Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) presents High School Awards of Excellence to celebrate and promote the most outstanding high school productions from five Northwest states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. The awards are judged by the same professional organization that selects Emmy winners.

Eighteen other BHS filmmakers had also received nominations from the Academy this year.

BHS FILM FESTIVAL TO FEATURE AWARD-WINNING WORKS

Everyone is invited to a screening of films produced spring semester by students in the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program. The BHS Film Festival will be Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium. Included will be short comedies, dramas, news features, and documentaries. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and will be sold at the door. All proceeds benefit students in the Digital Filmmaking Program.

The festival 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 Chicago International Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival. In addition, program alumni will return to share their stories and work they've produced in college or during their professional careers.

NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM FESTIVAL HONORS BHS FILMMAKERS

Students in the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program have won 15 awards and honors across six different categories at the 16th 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. Twenty high schools from the Puget Sound region competed for awards in twelve different production categories.

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 Digital Filmmaking senior Raven Two Feathers. In the fall, Raven will be studying film production at the Santa Fe University of Art & Design.

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 the Academy of Interactive Entertainment, Advanced Broadcast Solutions, the Art Institute of Seattle, Glazier's Camera, and Sanford-Brown College. For more information on the NWHSFF, visit www.nwhsff.weebly,org.

Some of the award-winning productions will be screened at the BHS Film Festival on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and will be sold at the door.

Ballard’s Northwest High School Film Festival winners by category:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Comedic Narrative
Stuck in Time
Sage Borlo, Tor Randolph, Remy Robin

Commercial
Benito’s
Joseph Downey, Max McCann, Tor Randolph

Whizz Education
Julian Amrine, Stephanie Shao, Josh Vredevoogd

Dramatic Narrative
Air Pressure
Coleman Andersen, Leo Pfeifer

Music Video
Song for Anna
Lucy Harstrick, Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Josh Vredevoogd, Kiana Wyld

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Comedic Narrative
A Taste of Courage
Carlos Caceres Martinez, Victoria O’Laughlin, Leo Pfeifer

Caf-Fiend
Jonny Cechony, Tristram Fetters, Simon Gibson-Penrose

Commercial
Don’t Drop the Bass
Milo Adams, Jonny Cechony, Nathan Roe

Music Video
A Day at Ballard High School
Jaya Flanary, Meagen Tajalle, Raven Two Feathers

Goodbye, Paraguay
Matt Nguyen, Sho Schrock, Stephanie Shao

News Feature
Real World Maritime
Danny Allen, Elliott Atkinson, Henry Romano-Weller

Public Service Announcement
The Bank
Leo Pfeifer, Auston Thompson

Deadly Education
Aurore Bouriot, Will Erstad, Sid Johnson

Words Matter
Ethan Ayrault, Kimi Rutledge, Kajsa Woolford

BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILM AT SIFF

BHS Filmmakers Leo Pfeifer and Coleman Andersen

The short film Air Pressure by Coleman Andersen and Leo Pfeifer, is an Official Selection of the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). A visual story about a disaster at the World Balloon Animal Championships, it will screen at SIFF this Monday, May 26 at 1:30 pm at the Uptown Cinemas.

It will also screen at the BHS Film Festival on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and will be sold at the door.

ACADEMY NOMINATES BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS

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 Digital Filmmaking Program earned eleven nominations, more than twice as many as any other school or organization in the five-state region. The winners will be announced on June 7 at the 51st 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.

Music Video:
Goodbye, Paraguay by Sho Schrock-Manabe, Matt Nguyen, Stephanie Shao & Elizabeth Turnell

Song for Anna by Josh Vredevoogd, Lucy Harstrick, Isaiah Hoban Halvorsen & Kiana Wyld

Photographer/Editor:
Caf-Fiend by Simon Gibson-Penrose, Tristram Fetters & Jonny Cechony

Going it Alone by Julian Amrine & Joshua Vredevoogd

Public Service Announcement:
The Bank by Leo Pfeifer & Auston Thompson

Short Form Fiction:
Air Pressure by Coleman Anderson, Leo Pfeifer & Josh Vredevoogd

Caf-Fiend by Simon Gibson-Penrose, Tristram Fetters & Jonny Cechony

Going it Alone by Julian Amrine & Josh Vredevoogd

The Need to Groove by Kyle Goodwin, Max Nelson & Jonny Cechony

Omar the Girl Scout by Coleman Anderson, Brian Cropp & Lindsay Fasser

Stuck in Time by Sage Borlo, Tor Randolph & Remy Robin

Three of the films nominated in the Short Form Fiction category were produced by students in their first year of the Digital Filmmaking Program. In the Photographer/Editor category, all the nominees were Ballard High School students.

One of the nominated productions, along with other new works completed this spring by students in the BHS Digital Filmmaking Program, will be screened at the Ballard High School Film Festival. This will take place on Friday, June 6th or Saturday, June 7th at 7 pm in the BHS auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults.

This makes the eighth year in a row that Ballard High School producers have been nominated. Last year they received 8 nominations and won the categories of Community/Public Service Announcement, Long Form, Fiction and Photographer/Editor.

BALLARD FILMMAKERS WIN NFFTY AWARDS

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 214 films from across the country by filmmakers 21 and younger. Many of the featured works were produced by college students from such prestigious schools of film & television as the University of Southern California and New York University, so there was no shortage of competition.

Song for Anna by Lucy Harstrick, Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Josh Vredevoogd & Kiana Wyld won the Audience Award of the Musical Masterpiece program. Song for Anna had previously won the Merit Award from the prestigious YoungArts Organization, and had also been named an Official Selection of the Chicago International Film Festival, where it will be screened next week.

Ballard filmmakers also distinguished themselves in NFFTY’s 48-Hour Film Off. In this festival event, high school media production programs of the Puget Sound area compete to produce the best short in 48 hours. To ensure that no pre-production has been done before the competition starts, teams were given a key line of spoken dialogue, a theme, and a prop that must be prominently featured in the short. The prop this year was a hydroplane, so teams had to be particularly resourceful and creative. Jonny Cechony, Will Erstad, Simon Gibson-Penrose, Elizabeth Rosario and Raven Two Feathers represented Ballard High School, and their short Just Plane Lucky took 2nd Prize in the competition.

Just Plane Lucky will screen at the Ballard Film Festival on Friday and Saturday, June 7th and 8th at 7 pm in the Ballard High School auditorium. Admission is $5 for students and $10 for adults.

NFFTY TO FEATURE SHORTS BY BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS

Four short films by thirteen 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 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 will feature 214 films from 30 states and 15 countries. Screeners made the selections from a pool of 800 entries. NFFTY opens at the Seattle Cinerama Theater on Thursday, April 24 and continues through Sunday, April 27 at the Seattle Center.
These short films by Ballard High School film students have been selected for screening.

Song for Anna by Lucy Harstrick, Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Josh Vredevoogd & Kiana Wyld

Stop Pretending by Marlene Anderson, Khasbold Bataa, Gabe Fabens, Zach Green & Lorenzo Rossi

Then & Now by Enjuli Chhaniara (’13), Dayan Flynn-Walsh (’13) & Ana Krafchick (’13)

Also selected was A Sleeping Giant, produced independently by Ballard film student Leo Pfeifer.

BHS also has a team competing in the 48-hour Film Off. Teams from ten 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. You can catch the 48-Hour Film Off – and cast your vote - on Saturday, April 26 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 eighth annual event.

A Day at Ballard High School

DON'T MISS NEW SHORTS FROM BALLARD'S AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKERS

Everyone is invited to a screening of new work by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program. The Showing will be on Saturday, February 8 and Thursday, February 13 at 7 pm in the Ballard High School auditorium. The screening will include short comedies and dramas, advertisements, news features, and music videos. Some of the work has recently won regional and national awards. Tickets ($10 for adults and $5 for students) will be sold at the door.

Funds raised will benefit students in the Video Production Program. Each spring, students in the program travel to Los Angeles to tour college schools of film and television, visit program alumni enrolled in these colleges or working in the industry, and meet with film and television professionals. Your ticket purchase or donation will make this trip possible for all accepted students and provide additional production equipment.

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).