Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Some Big Awards for Short Films

COURTESY MINJOON KIM
COURTESY MINJOON KIM

Although film studies may still be an academic fledgling here at Georgetown, there is certainly no limit to the impressive film presence boasted by its students. Tonight marks the beginning of the 10th annual Georgetown University Film Festival, which will run from 7 to 9 p.m. both tonight and tomorrow, Saturday, April 9, in the ICC auditorium.

After dwindling interest in years past, current Film Festival Chair Minjoon Kim (MSB ’12) worked to revamp and revive the 2011 celebration. Now filmgoers will be able to enjoy the films for free while snacking on complimentary drinks and popcorn.

The Friday screening will feature all of the student works. Saturday’s event will include a showcase of winning films and the awards ceremony.

Four panelists, drawing on professional and academic experience in film, music, communications and journalism, will judge the films and vote for the six award winners. While the awards lack a category for best performance by an actor or actress, they do follow the traditional metrics: best picture, documentary, editing, screenplay, director and short film. Films can win no more than two awards, and only one will win Best Picture.

To be eligible, films must include at least one current student, undergrad or graduate as a member of the cast or crew. This year’s festival, however, includes the short film Velik (The Bike) by Russian director Maria Morozova as the sole exception. While not a Georgetown student film, Velik was previously submitted as a student film at St. Petersburg University.

“We decided to make an exception for Velik (The Bike) because it was so darn good and we wanted Georgetown students to see what students at other schools are doing as a source of inspiration and gain a bigger perspective,” Kim wrote in an email.

After screening the entries, The Guide made the following predictions for the 2011 award winners:

Best Short Film – Mr. Sunshine

Synopsis: A naïve but ardent environmentalist attempts to bring the wonders of solar power to Georgetown, but the message fails to resonate among the apathetic ears of his fellow students. When the Student Activities Committee threatens to terminate funding for the group, Andrew Tomlinson (Andrew Mueth [COL’11]) must change his feel-good green tactics in order to save the Solar Energy Club and score the girl of his dreams.

Why It Matters: Set right here on campus and the surrounding neighborhood, Mr. Sunshine features other quirky additions that transcend daily life at Georgetown. An eccentric roommate (Andrew Dubbins [COL ’11]), who holds yoga class in Tomlinson’s dorm room, and a former Green Peace advocate-turned-environmentalist renegade hermit (Kevin Frazier [SFS ’11]) living beneath the Key Bridge Exxon station add specificity and depth, which helps the film break from the arc of familiar storytelling.

Best Documentary – Lectures to Beats

Synopsis: Filmed, produced and directed by Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele (MPS-JO ’12), Lectures to Beats begins sampling HBO’s “The Wire,” then delves into a discussion on the history and recent developments of American capitalism and politics and their interplay with race relations. This analysis is anchored by interviews and commentary from GU associate professors of history Maurice Jackson and Adam Rothman, associate professor of government Robert Bruce Douglass and history Ph.D. candidate Paul Adler. Collectively, they distill cerebral discussions about complex race, labor, political and economic issues into an engaging dialogue relevant to the modern American.

Why It Matters: While the other documentaries were interesting and broached a variety of topics, including a professional Elvis impersonator and American ski jump training for Olympic contention, Lectures to Beats serves up a crash course on current American affairs that is both engaging and thought provoking.

Best Screenwriting/Writing – Promotion

Synopsis: Jay (George Kieffer [COL ’12]) wakes up like on any other day and prepares his morning routine before work. On his way out he finds a congratulatory gesture on his table: a pricey bottle of Scotch. Drinking in the benefits of his recent promotion, Jay heads to work for what ensures to be a day indescribably different from any of his prior workdays

Why It Matters: While it starts as any routine day, Promotion quickly challenges the conception of what “normal” truly is. The succinct dialogue outlays a wildly bizarre world that in some ways is not unlike our own.

Best Director – Stormy Weather

Synopsis: A man (Andrew Guiang [SFS ’12]) walks into a bar in classic style. He sits alone and ruminates with a glass in hand. Joining him is the musical hallucination of a lost love (Hanna Perry [COL ’13]).

Why It Matters: Too often a film can be compromised by over-direction, muddling the story with an overwhelming array of camera angles; however, the parsimony of vantage points and monochromatic cinematography serve only to augment the impact of this timeless story.

Best Editing and Best Picture – Narcos

Synopsis: Two business partners based in Los Angeles are involved in a treacherous operation, sweeping hard drugs from deep within Mexico back into the United States. Despite the occupational hazards accompanying the smuggling game, they are rewarded with lucrative gains. When the drug trade heats up the duo finds themselves in a precarious situation like none they’ve faced before.

Why It Matters: With empty time to kill before the next pickup, the duo heads to a Mexican nightclub for a mental hiatus. The scene features a series of quick cuts, sandwiching the mind-dazzling neon lights, booming music and carnal pursuits into a depiction of the excesses of the Narcos lifestyle. The result is accurately disorienting and reminiscent of the club scene in Black Swan. Additionally, the final few shots of the film are cut without explicit reference to chronological order, suggesting a few alternate endings for the viewer to explore.

As a Best Picture, the film boasts impressive production value, taking the audience along illicit travel to Mexico and back through the U.S. border. The 13-minute film traverses the high life of the duo’s experiences and their inevitable peril, crafting sympathy for the souls caught within the catch-22 of drug running.

Note: To focus on the impressive effort and creativity within the Georgetown community, the writer chose to excludeVelik (The Bike) from award consideration.

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