By VANESSA LANGDON
News Editor
The fourth annual 15 Minutes Max student film festival was held at the Madison Theater last Friday.
The festival was open to all college and high school students within a 50-mile radius of the College of Saint Rose. All films were, at most, 15 minutes and had to follow a PG-13 rating. The evening included a screening of the 10 films chosen as finalists by the jury. From those films, three places were awarded, as well as an audience choice award.
The festival allows student filmmakers to see their films on the big screen while getting the star treatment, with reserved seats and their names in a shiny program designed by event sponsor 2Comuniqué. Their films were met with audience applause, laughter and inquisitive looks.
The chilly theater was filled with supporters of the local arts and the audience settled in for the hour of films, munching on their popcorn from the concession stand.
The first-place award was a tie between two films, “Falling” and “It’s Natural.” Co-director of “Falling” Maya Suchak is just 16 years old and currently earning her GED at Hudson Valley Community College.
Her film focused on a relationship between two teenage girls that was not accepted by the father of one of the characters. The film ended with an attempted suicide.
“We actually loosely based it on a news article we saw and different people’s personal experiences – a bunch of little things,” Suchak said.
Suchak wrote the film with the help of her Youth FX family, a digital film and media arts program for youth ages 14 to 19 in the Capital Region.
“It’s great, it’s really great. A lady said she was moved by it and that’s the best,” said Mikayla Applebery, an actor in the film.
“Falling” also won the audience choice award of the evening. All those in attendance voted for the audience choice either via text, in the same vein as American Idol, or by old-fashioned paper ballot for those less technologically inclined.
“It’s nice that the audience choice winner is often the same as the first place winner, which shows that the jury is getting it right,” said Liz Richards, chair of the 15 Minutes Max film committee.
This is Richards’ second year at the helm of the festival and she was pleased with the turnout for the event.
“What made me so happy was how there were representatives from so many of the schools in the 50 mile radius from Saint Rose,” she said.
Richards does not put on the festival alone, but has the help of the rest of the committee and festival jury. The jury has representatives from Saint Rose, Hudson Valley Community College, the Times Union, a Hollywood screenwriter, a local DJ, and a Saint Rose student.
Second place went to Brendan Bequette from Rensselear Polytechnic Institute for his film “How To Tell A True War Story.” Bequette was not able to be at the festival in person but accepted his award via video.
A member of the Saint Rose graduating class of 2015, Jeremy Fink, was awarded third place for his film “Tea.” Fink’s film had a more mature subject matter, as blood was shed and a sex-shaken bed was heard. The nature of the film necessitated an asterisk next to the name in the program, warning that the film was not for young audiences.
Fink got the idea for the film while making a pot of tea.
“The first scene came to me and I thought what could I do with it,” Fink said.
This was only the second film that he has made and his first entry into the festival.
“It was nice to be in a room with people watching it. I didn’t know what their reactions would be,” said Fink. “It was a great learning experience.”
Fink filmed late last March and early April after finishing his senior thesis project at Saint Rose.
The festival whittled down the over 60 submissions to the 10 finalists that ranged in subject matter – one had no dialogue, “Comfort You” directed by Brandon Powers-Green; one was completely graphic, Oliver Derosier’s “The Alaskographic,” while another combined graphic and found video clips, “Wonderlijk Natuur (Strange Natures)” directed by Julia Sub.
A first time attender of the festival, Danielle Barror, a junior at Saint Rose, enjoyed see the films created by her fellow students and those from other schools.
“I was surprised to see the overall amount of talent,” said Barror. “Everyone involved did such a great job.”
