Student filmmakers showcase short films at CBU film festival

Riverside, Calif. (April 23, 2018) – More than 260 individuals filled The Box theatre in downtown Riverside for 7^th annual California Baptist University Student Film Festival that featured 14 short films.

The students created productions that ranged in genres from documentaries to romance to comedy. The festival is open to all CBU students who have made films over the last year.

“This is really for people who have dreams of doing this for a living, as a filmmaker, to have a chance to showcase their work, to learn and to have a chance to complete a project that’s going to be shown publicly,” said Dr. Melissa Croteau, professor of film studies at CBU.

Michael Duggan, Nathan Rierson, Allen Fletcher and Jonathan Cadenhead, all freshman film majors, wrote and directed “Film School.” The film won the award for Best Screenplay. 

Cadenhead said he enjoyed hearing the audience laugh in response to their film.

“We’re freshmen and going into this we’re the underdogs … and knowing that, we had something to prove,” said Duggan, “Getting recognized is awesome.”

David Ramos, a film studies junior, directed two films featured at the festival, “Purple Pen” and “Pulling Teeth.” “Purple Pen” won the award for Best Picture.

Ramos said his team wanted to tell a modern love story and depict the seasons people come in and out of one’s life as coinciding with the seasons of the year.

“I was just blessed with a great team,” Ramos said. “I think my favorite part of filmmaking is just the fact that it is a bunch of people getting together to tell a message and just to have fun.”

Student Film Festival Awards

Best Picture
Narrative: “Purple Pen” written and directed by David Ramos
Documentary: “Tranquility in the Disturbance” directed by Micha Emerine

Best Actress
Olivia Quebe, “Purple Pen”

Best Actor
Chandler Hancock, “Purple Pen”

Best Supporting Actor/Actress
Allison Montgomery, “Seven Minutes”

Best Cinematography
Micha Emerine, “Tranquility in the Disturbance” and “Ikigai”

Best Music/Soundtrack
Matt Thalin, “Ikigai”

Best Screenplay
Michael Duggan, Nathan Rierson, Allen Fletcher and Jonathan Cadenhead, “Film School”

Best Special/Visual Effects
“The White Window,” directed by Aaron Richter

Best Editing
Micha Emerine, “Tranquility in the Disturbance”

Best Production Design
“War Torn,” directed by Nikolas Main