A total of 75 student films have been picked as semi-finalists in the 2008 Angelus Student Film Festival, which takes place at the Directors Guild of America on Saturday, Sept. 13. According to organizers, the call for entries attracted submissions from nearly two dozen countries. The selected works represent 132 film schools in three categories: live action, animation and documentary.
The Angelus Student Film Festival was initiated in 1996 by Catholic media outlet Family Theater Prods., Hollywood to cultivate, honor and showcase future filmmakers as they explore and create works that respect human dignity. In operation since 1947, Family Theater Prods. has been creating radio, television and cinema programs aimed at entertaining, inspiring and informing families. The organization gave actor James Dean and producer/director George Lucas their first on-screen credits.
This year’s finalists in all categories are expected to be announced by August 1, and the winning films will be screened at the festival. Organizers will give out nearly $50,000 in cash and prizes, including the coveted $10,000 Patrick Peyton Award for Excellence in Filmmaking, one of the highest cash awards for student filmmakers. For more information, head to www.angelus.org.
2008 Animation Finalists:
Abridged by Arjun Rihan, USC
Animal Instincts by Cameron Edser, Bond University (Australia)
Chicken Cowboy by Stephen Neary, NYU
Crema Suprema by Ellenora Ventura, Sheridan College (Canada)
Edmund by Steve Umbleby, Columbus College of Art and Design
Fossil Fools by Max Groff, Art Center College of Design
Gallery Girl by Andrew Marshel, USC
Plain and Simple by Merrin Marra, Columbia College, Chicago
Sebastian’s Voodoo by Joaquin Baldwin, UCLA
Snapshots by James Mullins, Savannah College of Art and Design
A Sheep on the Roof by Remy Schaepman, Institute of Saint Genevieve (France)
Starsearcher by Adam Brown, Ryerson University (Canada)
Superhero Training Center: Cultural Awareness Day by Yun-Ling Lee, Carnegie Mellon University
Token Hunchback by Timothy Reckart, Harvard University
