Time to buy the film farm

By Leslie Boxer

Daily Arts Writer

Tonight marks the fourth annual M-Flicks Film Farm, an evening dedicated to showcasing the talent of student filmmakers. Participation in Film Farm is open to the entire student body and "allows students of all backgrounds, not just film majors, the chance to have their films shown," says M-Flicks co-president Mike Cataletto. This year's Film Farm will show 14 short films that were selected from a pool of 38 entries at the Natural Science Auditorium. The evening's program includes a chance for viewers to vote on their favorite film in four categories: Most original piece, best screenplay, best cinematography and best of festival.

M-Flicks, the organization that sponsors Film Farm, is part of the University Activities Center, an umbrella organization that supports student activities on campus. M-Flicks not only heads up Film Farm, but is also responsible for bringing films to campus and giving students the opportunity to see sneak previews of films.

As for the student entries, they range from a documentary teaching you how to get a date to a story about a mentally disturbed man who is trying to escape the confines of his own psyche. What's most impressive about all of the different films is that the students are involved with every component of the filmmaking process. The students are allowed creative freedom in their endeavors and the differences between the entries goes beyond their choice of topics. Some films are shot in 16 millimeter while others are on VHS, SVHS or DV. In addition, the films vary in length from three to 22 minutes.

While anyone is afforded the opportunity to submit an entry to Film Farm, the majority of entries are from students concentrating in Film & Video. The major offers a number of classes in filmmaking starting at the 200-level and advancing throughout the four years. Many students make films for these courses and subsequently submit them to Film Farm.

Dan Weinberg, director of "How to Go on a Date," made his film for FV 200 and found that the most enjoyable part of the film was translating something that he had written into a visual form. Other directors shared Dan's enthusiasm for their own projects and the opportunity to work with wonderful student actors.

Peter Katona, another student director, found that being a student and trying to manage the work that goes into filming and editing was difficult. He said the thing he disliked the most about this experience was "not being able to focus only on the film. We had other commitments and classes and could not rise and sleep with the production in mind."

For many of the students involved in Film Farm, filmmaking is part of their career ambition. Many of the students have written or directed several other short films and have been involved with previous Film Farms. One film, "The Box," even has a recent graduate collaborating on the effort.

All in all, this year's Film Farm promises to be a night of entertainment and a tribute to the hard work of your fellow students.