After countless hours of filming, editing, producing and directing, everything was made worthwhile for the 400 students from across the globe who were accepted into the All-American High School Film Festival in New York City.
Among these lucky filmmakers were seven Kinkaid students. I was one of them.
My film “Going for Gold” is a documentary about my friend Mary Ellie Flack’s gymnastics achievements because her commitment inspired me. After all the weeks of effort that I invested in the project, seeing it on the silver screen in the Times Square AMC 25 was surreal.
The festival made the glamorous field of filmmaking feel within reach and gave me a glimpse into my possible profession in the future.
Freshman Jack Archer, whose three films were selected for the festival, agreed.
“I thought this event was really helpful in showing me the life of a filmmaker, and it gave me hope that I can continue on this path,” Archer said.
Three of Archer’s student films were selected for the festival, and he was nominated for Best Middle School Film, for a project he completed during his 8th-grade year.
One of the purposes of this film festival was to allow students from across the world to collaborate and share their talents and passions for film. The various screenings and panels allowed students to gain exposure to different kinds of productions and artistic styles.
Up until this festival, I had only collaborated with Kinkaid students, like my co-filmmaker, freshman Annie Swanson. But at the festival, I met a variety of talented students from across the US and we are still in contact today.
My range of possibilities for future films has significantly widened because of all the conversations and connections I made. For example, learning about the mechanics and techniques of making a horror movie from Victoria prompted my interest in creating a Halloween film in the future.
I’ve struggled in the past with making horror movies in past filmmaking classes, but my experience at All American has motivated me to give it another try.
Junior Payton Daly, a student in the advanced filmmaking class, shared how much she enjoyed meeting other teenage filmmakers across the world.
“Everybody’s films were so brilliant, and talking about how they came to be was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to get connections with other filmmakers,” Daly said.
