Kentucky Wesleyan College will host its inaugural Film Festival on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on campus. The event will celebrate filmmaking by screening imaginative regional and international short films and web series, facilitating networking among filmmakers and sharing knowledge in various film disciplines. The festival is planned for the benefit of filmmakers and the enjoyment of those who enjoy watching films. Wesleyan student Ben Protheroe has submitted a short film entitled “Oxygen.”
The event is free and open to the public, and no registration is required.
“We are excited to introduce our Film Festival, which corresponds with the department’s film classes this semester,” said Tamara Coy, chair of the English department. “We intend to grow the festival into an annual event, encouraging submissions from students, alumni and filmmakers from all backgrounds.”
Filmmaker Marx Pyle added, “It is our hope that this festival will give students opportunities to show their talents and also learn from more experienced filmmakers. This event will assist future graduates that want to go into filmmaking careers explore opportunities, while also sharing local film talent with our community.”
The following workshops will be offered:
1. Suspense with a Camera (presented by Jeffrey Michael Bays):
Discover the basics of how to set up suspense in your film and keep your audience in a state of heightened anticipation. This workshop is for all genres of filmmaking, featuring clips from legendary director Alfred Hitchcock’s works, along with a few modern surprises. Attendees will learn the three steps to building a suspense scenario, the difference between suspense and tension, writing visual sentences with the camera, and more.
- The Business of Acting (presented by Jim Dougherty):
Acting is a business and the business side of the industry is the least taught piece of the puzzle. This discussion will cover the business side of the entertainment industry for actors. Discussion will include information on the casting process for theatrical release motion pictures as well as broadcast television, breaking into established markets, industry standards, communications, agents and managers, the professional actors union (SAG-AFTRA), and why training and professional materials are so important to the actor’s success.
Awards will be given to the best short films and web series, selected by a group of judges. Awards include:
Best Screenplay – Short Film
Best Screenplay – Series
Best Directing – Short Film
Best Directing – Series
Best Cinematography – Short Film
Best Cinematography – Series
SciFi Pulse Award (for best Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror film/series) – The winner gets an interview and review on the SciFi Pulse website, plus the two runner-ups get reviews on the website.
Audience Choice Award – The audience chooses their favorite film or series.
For more information, email kwcfestival@gmail.com or read about the festival here.