CHS Film Festival showcases CHS filmmakers
Fourteen student films premiere at the event, revealing a wide range of topics, styles, and genres
Student filmmaker Noah Limon co-hosts the CHS Film Festival, presenting a music video of Frank Ocean’s “Pink + White.”
Tuesday May 16th, was a special day for many aspiring filmmakers as that was the day of the very first Colton High School Mini Film Festival.
Many groups threw their hats in the ring, from the students in the video productions class, to the HIVE Media Club and the Drama Club.
Held inside the Multi-purpose room and hosted by Noah Limon and Natalie Padilla. Guests were treated to popcorn as they sat down to watch the premiere of the 14 films that made it.
The 14 films were divided up into four distinct categories, which showcased a variety of styles.
The first category was “Stop Motion Films” which showcased the patience and artistic talent of the filmmakers as each and every frame was meticulously filmed and edited.
Films included “New Year’s Resolution” directed by Abran Ramirez, a short video with a simple message of pushing yourself to do better. Despite the simple premise, it stands out with its unique style, with each frame being a unique drawing, all put together to show a man reaching new heights.
“Adventures” directed by Renee Arellano mixes live action stop motion shots with animated segments. It invokes a feeling of nostalgia, of sitting down and playing Minecraft after a long day at school.
The next category was “Interview Documentaries” where students asked hard hitting questions to the other students and staff of Colton High, getting their opinions on hot button issues.
A particular highlight was the video “Is AI Taking Over?” by Noah Limon and Natalie Padilla. Set up like a news show, the two hosts asked about the major impact of AI on students’ lives. It also got an interview with someone who confessed to using ChatGPT for school and words from a “legitimate” congressman who chose to remain anonymous.
Afterwards was “Music Videos” where students made videos for songs. This was the smallest category with only two submissions, one for Frank Ocean’s song “Pink and White” and one for The Marias’ song “Only In My Dreams.”
Finally was the “Short Film Showcase” where the rest of the films played.
The short films that were showcased included “RPS”, where a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors gets cranked up to 11, turning it into a dramatic western-styled duel.
“Check Please” was the longest short film, at 13 minutes, and it also was the one to have the loudest audience reaction with plenty of laughter and clapping coming from the audience.
¨Check Please” is set in a fancy diner, where the two main characters, a boy and a girl, meet many eccentric individuals while trying to get into a relationship.
These individuals range from a kleptomaniac who isn’t subtle about stealing to a date who’s a bit overboard with the lovey dovey compliments, making everything about the female protagonist.
The festival ended with a short Q&A where five of the filmmakers came up, sat down, and answered questions Natalie Padilla and the audience brought up.
Recently, the CHS Publications Department experienced a major theft as over $20,000 in photography equipment was stolen from our studio over Spring Break. This included all cameras. Any amount you donate will help rebuild our program. Thank you!
Angel Arjona is a self-proclaimed epic gamer and writer for the Pepper Bough. He is a man who loves history, even of the most unexpected and mundane things,...