The eighth annual Student Okanagan Film Festival is set for May 6 at the Mary Irwin Theatre.
What: Student Okanagan Film Festival
Who: Budding filmmakers, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies students, faculty, staff and general public
When: Monday, May 6 at 7 pm
Where: Mary Irwin Theatre, Rotary Centre for the Arts, 421 Cawston Ave., Kelowna
The stage is almost set for the eighth annual Student Okanagan Film Festival. In fact, organizers are getting ready to screen the submitted short films that cover a wide range of genres including mini-documentaries, experimental short films, music videos, animation and short narratives.
This annual event includes films from any student in the Okanagan, including those at UBC Okanagan, all regional high schools and local colleges.
UBCO Visual Arts Professor Myron Campbell co-organizes the event along with Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies faculty members Michael V Smith and Daniel Keyes.
“We are looking forward to going through all the submissions to choose the final selections for the festival,” says Campbell. “Last year, we awarded two filmmakers in animation and live-action, and we are excited to see what films we will get to decide on the specific award categories for this year.”
Local emerging filmmakers have been invited to submit their work for the chance to be included in the festival screening. A panel of jurors, consisting of faculty members and student volunteers, are now viewing the submissions—which in previous years has been more than 80—to create a film festival with about an hour of programming.
“This is such a great opportunity for the students to show their films on the big screen,” he adds. “It’s also a fantastic chance for them to receive public recognition and connect with other filmmakers which can open doors to future opportunities and collaborations.”
The screening takes place at the Rotary Centre for the Arts’ Mary Irwin Theatre on May 6, starting at 7 pm. This event is open to the public. Admission is by donation and all proceeds go back into the festival programming for future years.
