Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / April 22, 2011, edition 1 / Page 7
Part of The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
F E ATU RE S 7 APRIL 22, 2011 Homegrown Film Festival showcases student films By Omar Hamad Staff Writer The captivating appeal of cinema is the perfect excuse for a night out with friends, significant others, and popcorn. Yesterday, however, students needed look no further than their own backyards to experience an array of organically produced film experiences. Including a diverse series of films whose topics ranged from a music video about the rapper in "Superteam" to a documentary about the "Stick Art" in the Quad, the fifth annual Homegrown Film Festival, held on Thursday, April 21, showcased student talent and engaged the Guilford community in an informative and entertaining manner. "The Homegrown Film Festival started as a way for students to showcase their end- of-the-semester video projects for class," said Chad Phillips, director of the Film Studies Department and coordinator of the festival. "Although most of the students who have submitted films are film studies minors, a number of students from outside the (program) also participate." The festival, hosted by the Guilford Film Society, featured 13 films focusing on common themes of environmental and local issues. Many of the films that have been shown in previous years have brushed with controversy, and this year proved to be no exception. "One year we featured a documentary called 'Defining Yourself by Race,'" said Aaron Bland, founder of the Guilford Film Society. "At other times we have shown films featuring nudity." Some participants expressed concern that fellow students would not understand the significance of their films or the issues surrounding them. "I'm a little worried that some people in our community might have found my documentary about crow-hunting on farms offensive, considering that, generally speaking, Guilford students don't hunt for sport," said student filmmaker and participant Charlie Councilman. "The truth is that in many places, crows can be major pests." This year's festival is the second time Students and faculty involved in the fifth annual Homegrown Film Festival gather for a photo. (Bottom row, from left) First-year Zachary Kronisch, junior Aaron Bland, and junior Emily Hutter. (Top row, from left) Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies and faculty advisor Chad Phillips, sophomore Polly Zittenberg, first^year Lindsay Vanderhoogt, first-years Kelly Cope, junior Dima Hanania, first-year Alice Gushue, and junior Becca Bacon. that prizes will be given out for films, with first, second, and third place awards being given. The first place prize will go to the film which the judges feel best represents the Guilford community and its unique qualities. "Without question, this is one of the best years that the Homegrown Film Festival has had," said Phillips. "All of the films that have been shown are of really high quality, which will make judging them very difficult." Among the several films shown in the festival that featured Guilford-related themes is a documentary about two students, Zachary Kronisch and Michael Robles, who spent three days fasting in the campus woods. While most of the films entered into the festival averaged 10 to 15 minutes in length, this film lasted 45 minutes. "One of the most important parts of the festival is for people to come out and see the incredible talent that students have — and to encouraging other students to participate in the filmmaking process," said sophomore and festival co-coordinator Polly Rittenberg. "For me the most significant part of the Homegrown Film Festival is raising awareness of the existence of the film minor," said Bland. "Because the minor is only 3 years old, many students are still not aware of it and the opportunities it provides to learn about filmmaking and honing their craft." Guilford remembers Dave Newton “Now we’re at the end of Dave’s story, after all that mental preparation for the inevitable, and the inevitable has happened. There’s so much more to Dave than what his body was able to con tain and it’s all out there now, with us, whether we are consciously thinking about it or not. I think he’s doing perfectly fine right now. He has a right to feel accomplished when he looks at the number of people whose lives he has changed for the better, and I’m incredibly proud to consider myself amongst them.” - Heather von Bodungen, junior The Spring Fling has flung By David Pferdekamper Staff Writer The Spring Fling, the annual end-of-year celebration for the Center for Continuing Education Student Government Association, brought a myriad of CCE students and their families to New Garden lawn on Sunday, April 17. "(The Spring Fling) gives us all a chance to get closer together," said CCE SGA President elect and current Activities Director senior Jean Kelley. "It gives us a chance to have fun while at school and shows us that it's not all work." The event, originally scheduled for April 16, was moved due to a forecast for wind and rain. Luckily for the event planners, the weather on Sunday was far more welcoming for the Spring Fling, with clear and sunny skies invigorating the attendees and allowing the joyousness of the event to shine through. "It's a really nice day — the weather couldn't have been better," said junior Lisa Tanico. "The food is great and the spirit is great. It's really nice to see everyone, and I love seeing all the kids. There's a good feel ing of fellowship here." With weather off of the worry list, the Spring Fling occurred without obstacle. The Fling featured cookout-style food, a live band, a rock wall, and inflatable attractions, including a basketball hoop, a moon bounce, a double slide, and an obstacle course race. "My kids are so enjoying (the inflatables)," said junior Teresa Gill. "It's a beautiful day for it, too, with a nice turnout. It's a good day for parents to bring their kids and let them have a good time." In addition to the family-oriented attrac tions, the Spring Fling also featured an award ceremony to recognize the achievements of various CCE students during the 2010-11 academic year. 'This is really awesome," said Tanico, who won the award for CCE Student who Demonstrates Outstanding Achievement in English. "It was very unexpected, and I'm honored ... I had no clue. They asked me to come and give the blessing, and then one of the planners sort of imparted to me that 1 should stay." "I'm impressed with the overall partici pation of students in the award ceremony," said Ricky Graves, husband of senior Gloria Graves. "There's a good family turnout that has come here to support (the students). That's what stands out to me the most." Looking back on a successful event, Kelley recalled a positive planning process that reflected the positive nature of the Fling. "We've been planning since early January, and we had really great support," Kelley said. "It honestly wasn't that difficult at all. It was a very seamless process, just time- consuming." But just as the planning process ended, so too did the Spring Fling. With the last big CCE SGA event over, some used the oppor tunity to reflect on the achievements of the past year. "I offer my congratulations to all the grad uating seniors," said Graves. "My wife is looking forward to graduating. It took a long time to get here, but we're finally here." The Spring Fling will happen again next year, but with a slightly different set of faces. Some will be graduated and gone, while new students will bring their families to the event for the first time.
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 22, 2011, edition 1
7
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75