STUDENT FILM SHOWCASE STEALS THE SHOW AT THE SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Sonoma, CA (March 30, 2012) – When the credits roll in April (11-15) on the screen of the Sebastiani Theatre, few viewers outside friends and family may recognize the names of Eugene and Buster LaHaye, Ky Newman, Luke Lasley, Emily Garcia, Forrest O’Brien or Anthony Lucchesi.
But moviegoers, take note. Chances are, it won’t be the last time audiences will see films directed, edited, acted or produced by these and other students from Sonoma Valley High School.
At the Sebastiani, their work will be featured at the much-anticipated Student Film Showcase, an annual highlight of the Sonoma International Film Festival.
These are no quick-and-dirty YouTube videos. Rather, they are products of the cutting-edge Media Arts Program at SVHS, where students learn the art and techniques of cinematography with instruction and technology rarely found at a small town high school.
“One of the coolest things is to make a film and screen it in our own theater. Take what you’ve made and put it up on big screen and show all your friends. This important screening event is really inspiring to me,” says current student Luke Lasley. “Not even all colleges have that.”
It wasn’t always so. At its inception ten years ago, the program had to make do with four film cameras and two computers shared among 40 students. But thanks to annual funding since then from the Sonoma International Film Festival, the program now serves 150 students who work in a high-tech lab that includes 34 computers, 25 cameras and a broadcast studio that delivers live news to SVHS students.
This is anything but a fun-and-games playground for today’s tech-savvy teens. It is serious work. And it is giving it students a serious leg up for potential careers in filmmaking and other media arts.
Just ask SVHS graduate Mike Abela, whose work was featured at previous Student Film Showcases. Abela’s early training at SVHS led him to film school San Francisco State, and his work since has ranged from filming Tibetan monks in Thailand to producing music videos.
“At the age of 14, having an outlet which guides you towards a career is a phenomenal opportunity,” said Abela. “It allows young people to realize the potential of their creativity and that something they are passionate about can actually become a profession, a lifestyle and a dream come true.
“I am now enjoying a solid beginning to my career in filmmaking, producing everything from corporate films to music videos, while also traveling the world to create documentary material making not only a difference, but a dollar.”
Abela is among a group of successful alumni. Former student James “Dr. Seuss” Lord now runs Irie Sounds International, a successful music and video production company in Jamaica. And SVHS Media Arts grad Mike Lee is returning to the Festival this year with Alarm Clock Alley. Lee was the first SVHS student to have a film in the regular Festival program while still in high school, The D.D. in 2009.
Following in Lee’s footsteps, Ky Newman – a current Senior in the Media Arts Program – has a film in the official Festival Shorts Program. “Ky is one of my star Seniors this year,” says Hansen. “He has an impressive, artistic, and technically challenging five minute short film suspended in between reality and fantasy that explores the inner workings of the subconscious mind.”
“Ky deserves to be in this Festival,” says Sonoma International Film Festival Director, Kevin McNeely. “Peter Hansen has inspired him to great work and as a result of his talent, he has just been accepted to UCLA film school – one of the nation’s best.”
While Abela values the access he had to computers and cameras at SVHS, he also knows equipment can only take you so far without a source of inspiration, guidance and encouragement. And at SVHS, that comes from program founder Peter Hansen.
“Peter Hansen is an incredibly inspiring teacher, one who truly cares about his students and puts his life and soul into the program,” says Abela.
“I was a corporate jockey for 12 years. Now I get to teach what I love and learn from my students,” says Hansen. He still recalls the day he decided that the lucrative corporate grind was not enough for him.
Living in Washington state and traveling for work on a regular basis, Hansen heard an interview with Barbara Sher on public radio about living life with purpose. Almost immediately he quit his job and started studying film at the University of Washington. Next, he found himself with a blank canvas and a program to create.
“The classroom room was empty – no computers, nothing. The room was a shell. I came as a volunteer and started it all with a summer film workshop,” says Hansen. “The proverbial cane hooked me. Now I’m a tenured, credentialed teacher.”
For Hansen, a critical ingredient in the program’s success is trust. He demonstrates that by giving his students freedom to take expensive cameras and computers home, or elsewhere, to shoot and edit their films. Along with that, he gives them the freedom to take chances creatively, to experiment and learn without fear of failure.
“ My life philosophy is you can’t live in fear,” says Hansen. “ Fear is the greatest restrictor in any endeavor. So I have to show the students that I trust them with expensive cameras without fear that they will break them or lose them. If I don’t give them the camera how am I going to get creative work? I need to let them take the stuff home and really use it.
“One of my favorite things about teaching – besides the technical stuff – is giving trust to see what they do with that as much as what they do with the camera I give. I’m not just the media teacher, I’m a life teacher. I see what they do when they assign their own responsibility.”
Current students – twin brothers Eugene & Buster LaHaye – are in the process of finishing their Western Condemn and Forget filmed mostly in Death Valley with cameras borrowed from the Media Arts Program. “Mr. Hansen clearly knows what he’s doing about how to make movies. He starts with a lecture…how to achieve a specific effect. Then he lets students go to work on their movies. He gives us great equipment and a wonderful opportunity,” says Buster. “He is able to get this whole thing all together – the studio, the cameras. And then he gives it to us to make the most of it.”
The student experience has made the program increasingly popular at SVHS. There is a waiting list to get in, despite the fact that it is an elective and it is hard for many students to work it into their schedule of required courses.
The program has tripled in scale and scope since it began, despite very tight funding for schools and the arts. All the equipment at the media Arts program, and even 40% of Hansen’s salary, is funded by outside sources and private donations, the majority of it through the Sonoma International Film Festival.
“I’ve been fortunate to have 10 years of unrelenting support from the film festival. I’ve had lots of individual donors, too, but the festival has never faltered. Every year they give. At one point the program was cancelled due to budget cuts and the film festival resurrected it. Without the support of the film festival for the past 10 years, we wouldn’t be here now, and it is the festival’s promise to continue with funding that keeps this program alive.“
The Student Film Showcase will screen twice during the Festival. Thursday April 12th from 9-11 am and Sunday, April 15th from noon-2 pm. For tickets please visit: http://www.sonomafilmfest.org/2012-passes-on-sale/ Individual tickets will be on sale after April 2nd.
For more information about the SVHS Media Arts Program: www.svhsvideo.com
Here is a sampling of this year’s student films:
Condemn and Forget – Western
Run Time: 11:50
LaHaye Brothers
The year is 1876. The Town is Darwin. The Sheriff has a conscience. The outlaw plays on this and is on to him. The two ultimately square off in the deep desert, in a barren landscape where no one truly wins. This authentic western demonstrates careful scripting, acting, original costumes, and fine editing by the LaHaye Brothers.
Half Awake – Boy Meets Girl-Music Video
Run Time: 5:15
Brinkley Capriola and Alyssa McDougle
It starts with a smile. It always starts with a smile, and if you are lucky, ends with a smile too. In this finely executed, carefully shot and directed boy meets girl music –style video, this story of two young people, celebrating the insouciance of their youth, will warm your heart and connect you to the characters leaving you wanting more.
Outro
Run Time: 5:15
Ky Newman – Director, Luke Lasley Camera
Outro is the exploration of the place between the subconscious mind and reality, between waking and dreaming. It quickly draws in the audience and allows them to wonder, and to wander while visiting this shared place of enlightenment. This film integrates artful cinematography, professional editing , and exceptional sound design that will leave you in a moment of awe and personal introspection. Accepted into the shorts program of the Sonoma International Film Festival, 2012.
Notes:
Emily Garcia – Freshman Filmmaker
Run Time 5:05
This short and sweet film in the genre of “Boy Meets Girl” takes a new twist, while capturing the authentic, and awkward moments that go along with meeting someone new.
Reprobates and Losers – Drama Comedy
Run time: 16:10
Anthony Lucchessi – DirectorIn the style of the infamous “Breakfast Club” five mis matched students, are inadvertently locked in an art room for eight hours. What happens is pure mayhem, drama, laughter, and the eventual self awareness only inspired though the truth of others. Tight scripting, stellar acting, and professional directing by Anthony keep this film moving and enjoyable from start to finish.
My Dearest Lillian – Drama
Run Time 12 minutes
Forrest O’Brien – Director
This story follows the quest of a troubled girls life to find truth, friendship, and resolution from the betrayal of her father. Fortunately, long the way, she learns to rely on friends and her Uncle Chuck to help her find her way, and the discovery of a truth that has long escaped her.
Middle School Shorts
Run Time: 6 minutes
Kimberly Hughes – Producer
Over the course of three days, approximately 14 students from Valley Middle Schools gathered at the Boys and Girls Club Of Sonoma, along with professional instructors, to produce four short PSA style movies. Each movie brings insight and humor into the issues and culture of their generation.
Sponsors
The Sonoma International Film Society & Festival rely on the generous support of sponsors and corporate partnerships to help fund the year-round film society, Special thanks to this year’s sponsors and partners:
PREMIERE SPONSORS: AT&T Advertising Solutions, Bistro Boudin, Chateau St. Jean, Comcast, Hey Mambo by The Other Guys, Mia's Kitchen.MAJOR SPONSORS: Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, The Fred & June MacMurray Foundation, MacArthur Place, New Belgium Brewing, Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, Wine Country Party & Events.SUPPORTING SPONSORS: Dolby, Green & Black's Organic Chocolate, Infineon Raceway, LUNAFEST sponsored by Lunabar, Sotheby's International Realty, Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco, TV 5 Monde, Vode Lighting, Wildfire Web.PRIMARY WINERY PARTNERS: Buena Vista Winery, Don Sebastiani & Sons, Sebastiani Vineyards.TRANSPORTATION PARTNER: Pure Luxury Wine Tours.La Quinceañera Film Fiesta is sponsored by the Fred & June MacMurray Foundation.
About the Sonoma International Film Festival
A destination film festival located in the heart of wine country, the Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF) is uniquely positioned to be a lively celebration of film, food and wine. An annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts and independent filmmakers, Sonoma is one of the most scenic and epicurean places to experience the art of film. Founded in 1997 as the Sonoma Valley Film Festival, SIFF is now a five-day international event that takes pride in showcasing independent films.
SIFF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Festival supports the Sonoma Valley High School Media Arts Program established over a decade ago by the Sonoma Film Society.
The 15th annual Sonoma International Film Festival will take place from April 11 to 15, 2012. For more information, contact:
(707) 933-2600
SonomaFilmFest.org
facebook.com/sonomafilmfestival
twitter.com/sonomafilmfest
###
Media Contact
Brooke Conner Sevenau
Studio Seven PR
707-934-5631
brooke@studiosevenpr.com
http://studiosevenpr.com/
MEDIA ACCREDITATION: http://www.sonomafilmfest.org/media-accreditation-form
Tags:
