2017 SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival Selections Announced

SMPTE and the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) have announced the official selections for the 2017 SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival.

Jurors curated the official selections from 119 shorts submitted by student filmmakers from more than 30 countries.

The 2017 SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival Official Selections are:

Innovative Use of Entertainment Technology to Engage the Audience in the Story – Animated Short (5 minutes or less)
• 'Attack of the Mothman' by Meg Viola (Ringling College of Art and Design; Sarasota, Florida)
• 'Hope' by Alireza Bidar (Savannah College of Art and Design; Savannah, Georgia)
• 'KCLOC' by Ninaad Kulkarni (School of Visual Arts; New York)
• 'Tiny Wing' by Wei Li (Academy of Art University; San Francisco, California)
• 'Tom in Couchland' by James Just (Ringling College of Art and Design; Sarasota, Florida)
• 'VERGE' by ChingTien Chu (School of Visual Arts; New York)

Innovative Use of Entertainment Technology to Engage the Audience in the Story – Live-Action Short (5 minutes or less)
• 'Bittersweet Memories' by Stephanie LI Yuqi (Hong Kong Design Institute; Tiu Keng Wan, Hong Kong)
• 'Dunce' by Joshua Walquist (University of Oklahoma; Norman, Oklahoma, US)
• 'Mind Game' by Weisi Dai (School of Visual Arts; New York, US)
• 'Transformation' by Nicolas Medrano (Polytechnic School; Pasadena, California, US)

Innovative Use of Technology in an Experimental Short (3 minutes or less)
• 'AEON' by Derek O'Dell (Chapman University; Orange, California, US)
• 'Jazz Orgie' by Irina Rubina (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg; Ludwigsburg, Germany)

Innovative Use of Mobile Device or Tablet to Convey a Story – Narrative Short
• 'LONDON STRIKE' by Jiranant Kanjanagawin (University of Greenwich; London, UK)
• 'The Great Game of Men' by Le Han (Language Systems International College; Pasadena, California, US)

Innovative Use of Analog Technologies in a Live Action Narrative Short (5 minutes or less)
• 'Frenemy' by Andrew Paul Davis (Chapman University; Orange, California, US)
• 'Home' by Vivian Lau (Emerson College; Boston, Massachusetts, US)

Documentary Short With Technology as the Subject Matter (5 minutes or less)
• 'Baylor VirtuOso Documentary Short on Use of Technology in VR Music Video' by Gustavo Raskowsky (Baylor University; Waco, Texas, US)

Award winners for each category will be announced and presented at the festival. In addition, the Audience Choice Award will be voted on by attendees and presented at the conclusion of the festival.

Seth Hallen, president of HPA, said: "The student filmmakers entered in the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival come from academic programs around the world, presenting us with a truly global creative perspective from the next generation of filmmakers. The vision for the future they have shown us is exciting, and I'm now certain, more than ever, that we are in for amazing things to come. HPA is proud to co-present this outstanding festival and will cheer on all of the filmmakers in October."

Richard Welsh, SMPTE Education vice president and CEO of Sundog Media Toolkit, added: "The bar for entry to this year's competition was higher than ever, and we're delighted with the rich array of entries we received from around the world. Each of this year's official selections demonstrates the potential of new entertainment technology as a storytelling tool, and each is a visual testament to the creativity and inventiveness of the newest generation of filmmakers."

Hosted by Howard Lukk, Director of Engineering and Standards at SMPTE, and Aimée Ricca, Marketing and Communication at SMPTE, the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival will take place on Monday 23 October at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on Level 3 of the Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, California. The event is being held in conjunction with the SMPTE 2017 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SMPTE 2017).

Tickets to attend the 2017 SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival are available with SMPTE 2017 registration packages or separately at www.smpte2017.org. Admission to the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival is free for students, and a $25 donation to benefit the SMPTE Education Fund is suggested for other attendees.

Image: Andy Cook, Head of Global Education Strategy at Avid, and Anna Dining, 2017 Audience Choice Award Winner.

www.smpte.org

(JP/LM)