Submitted by: Pickford Film Center
Know any young future filmmakers? This February, Pickford Film Center will host the 16th annual Guerilla Film Project, a filmmaking competition for high school students. Students from all over the Pacific Northwest are invited to the Pickford for a whole weekend of moviemaking festivities, and compete in groups of 2-5 to make a three minute film in three days.
The festival kicks off on Thursday, February 13th with a filmmaker workshop, where students will hear from local filmmakers and film educators about story, shooting, and filmmaking techniques. Film prompts will be announced after the workshop. Prompts include: a line of dialogue, a prop, and a filmmaking technique, such as a split screen or tracking shot. Last year the required prop was a Sharpie of any color and size, and the required line, “there’s only one way to find out.”
The filmmaker workshop offers students from different schools a chance to meet each other, as well as an opportunity to learn about filmmaking from the pros. Lauren McClanahan, an instructor for the Bellingham Youth Media Project with a PhD in English Education will give a presentation on how to tell a good story in three minutes or less. Michael Barone, Pickford Film Center Assistant Manager and filmmaker himself, will present a crash course in filmmaking technology, from DSLRs to smartphones.
After the workshop sessions, prompts are announced and the festival commences. Students have just 65 hours to write, shoot, edit, and complete their films by Sunday, February 16th. Films are reviewed by a panel of professional judges, who will determine the Best Picture. After judges make their decisions, it’s time for the festival public premiere. Students are encouraged to invite friends and family to watch their work projected on the big screen at the Pickford.
The Best Picture winners take home $100 and the Gold Hamster. Other awards, such as the Best Use of Prompts, Best Editing, and Peer Choice Awards are also up for grabs.
Groups of one to five students may register as a team for $40.
If you or someone you know is a budding filmmaking high school student, send them to the Guerilla Film Project website to sign up, registration is open until February 12th.
For more information contact PFC Education Outreach Manager Mikayla Nicholson: mikayla@pickfordfilmcenter.org
