Proudly advertised as a “film festival for all,” Film Society’s semiannual festival provides a storytelling platform for an array of artists.
From Dec. 8 to 9, 39 films were screened at the Don Powell Theatre ranging from narrative to experimental in structure and lighthearted to somber in tone.
This semiannual festival is home to all film types, from iPhone-shot documentaries to slick crime thrillers.
This is the fourth Film Society festival since the club’s establishment in 2014.
It serves not as a competition but as a celebration for a semesters’ worth of hard work, as opposed to the film department’s festival, which has a more traditional structure where entries are restricted to television, film and new media majors and judged by a panel of professors.
“Films are made to be seen,” said Marissa Roxas, Film Society president and film production senior. “What’s unique about our festival is that anyone that goes to San Diego State can submit a film, so whether you’re a TFM major, pre-major or someone that just makes films you can participate.”
The festival prides itself on being an inclusive environment for all particpants and subject matter.
“You are allowed to address things that aren’t always comfortable to talk about,” Roxas said. “We can have silly weird comedies but also dramas that address heavier subjects.”
The realization of one’s efforts on the big screen is a special experience for filmmakers.
Film production sophomore Benjamin Howard wrote and directed “Toast” and also wrote, produced, directed and edited the teaser trailer for “Disconnect.”
For Howard, the festival provides a sense of validation.
“It’s the gratification of sharing your work with all of your filmmaking peers that I enjoy,” Howard said. “After months of hard work and time being put into your project, seeing it play on the big screen in front of so many people reminds me what it was all for.”
The inherently collaborative nature of the medium makes the festival all the more rewarding.
“I see the film community here is really something special,” Howard said. “I’m always blown away by how dedicated my peers are, especially when they’re working on a project they aren’t obligated to work on. The festival represents a huge web of collaboration and teamwork come to life.”
In addition to the group bonding and artistic gratification, the purpose of the festival is ultimately to showcase what filmmakers are capable of.
“It’s crazy what people can do here,” Roxas said. “We may not be known as one of the premiere film schools yet, but we can still create films just as good as theirs.”
