The University of Notre Dame’s Department of Film, Television, and Theatre (FTT) announces the 25th Annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival, in the Browning Cinema, January 23 through 25, 2014. As in 2013, audience members will be invited to vote for their favorite film via text message. The Audience Choice Award will be presented to the student director(s) of the winning film before the final screening.
Celebrating its 25th year, the Notre Dame Student Film Festival screens films that were made by undergraduate students during the past year as class projects in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre.
The Notre Dame Student Film Festival is an annual launching pad for student filmmakers as they begin their careers in the film, television, and entertainment industry. Over the past 25 years, the festival has featured the first films of future award winners such as Peter Richardson (2011 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award winner, How To Die in Oregon) and John Hibey (2012 Sundance Film Jury Award Winner for Short Filmmaking, Fishing Without Nets), as well as numerous others, including: Jeremy Rall (music video director, Ludacris, Jay-Z, R. Kelly, T-Pain); M-K Kennedy (vice president of production at NBC Universal); Amy Winter (executive vice president, TLC Networks); Lydia Antonini (sr. vice president, Xbox Entertainment Studios – Halo 4); Andy Kris (sound re-recording mixer, HBO’s The Wire, Treme, Blue Bloods); Dave Chamberlin (producer, Maggievision, ESPN’s ESPY Awards); Jubba Seyyid (executive in charge of production, TV One Network); Chris Bannister (production coordinator, Industrial Light and Magic, Rango); Patrick Berry (editor, Duck Dynasty); Patrick Gallagher (visual effects editor, Olympus Has Fallen); Stephen Susco (screenwriter, The Grudge, The Possession, Texas Chainsaw 3D); Chris Ohlmeyer (executive producer, OKG Productions, ESPN live sports); Scott Mitsui (producer, Mark Woollen & Assoc., feature film trailers); Jan Wohrle Stebbins (executive producer, Hornet, Inc., The Octonauts); Jeremy Renteria (visual effects, The Vampire Diaries); Brett Paton (character animator, Surf’s Up, Alvin and the Chipmunks); Chad Tomasoski (co-producer, Showtime’s Dexter); Matt Wrablik (vice president of development, Good Clean Fun, MTV Reality shows); Margaret Ruffing Morris (senior producer, NFL Films); Allen Hemberger (CG supervisor, Avatar); Jeff Spoonhower (video games cinematics director, EA Sports, 2K Games); and Debbie Boulac (producer, CBS Sports).
Festival founder and FTT faculty member Ted Mandell says, “Honestly, I can remember every film from every year. Unfortunately, I can’t remember much else.”
This year’s Festival features the following 14 films:
Chicks (7:36)
Claire Stephens, Frank Schadt
Joe College picks the wrong farm to pull a poultry prank.
Ash (8:17)
Ray Herrly, Pat Nguyen
A loner finds himself in the middle of nowhere.
Gimp (10:17)
Camille Muth, Hunter Speese
To most people, Toronto writer Aaron Broverman is a person with a disability. He would like to change that perception.
Lilith’s Game (10:57)
Anthony Patti, Johnny Whichard
Someone has been playing video games for far too long.
Rice Bag (5:34)
Megan Kozak, Daniel Garcia de Paredes
A burlap sack, a banana, and a beach.
Discordance (5:32)
Lauren Josephson, Zach Ostapchenko, Mary Kate Holmes, Colton Williamson
A campus love story in pianissimo.
The Suicide Disease (16:14)
Katie Mattie, Vincent Moore, Will Neal
Frances Shavers had a wonderful life as a top administrator at the University of Notre Dame. Then, a rare nerve disorder changed everything.
Dinner For None (6:18)
Kurt Zhuang, Chris Silvestri
A summer thunderstorm crashes into an eerie dark tale.
Unexpected Fortune (8:37)
Will Neal, Nick Desmone
A slow day at the Seven-Eleven, or so she thought.
The Last Free Place (12:30)
Madeline Basil, Chris Holmes, Zach Ostapchenko
On an abandoned military base in the Colorado Desert, a resourceful community of “Slabbers” lives on the fringe of society.
A Quiet Day At The Park (3:15)
Mikey Nichols, Joey Doyle, Megan Flynn, Caroline Clark, Nick Goldsmith
In spandex, no one can hear you scream.
Unearthed (9:28)
Mackenzie Hightower, Amanda Dudzinski
Hauntingly poetic, a search for solace under one roof.
The Wormhole (6:25)
Colton Williamson
A distant relative of HAL 9000 sends everything down the drain.
My Neighbor Ned (11:07)
Andrew Cheng, Marty Flavin
While preparing for the inevitable zombie apocalypse, Jesse gets his wish.
Tickets for the Notre Dame Student Film Festival are $7 for the general public; $6 for faculty and staff; $5 for seniors (65+); and $4 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at performingarts.nd.edu, by phone at 574-631-2800, or in person at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center ticket office (M-F, 12:00 – 6:00 pm).
Screenings will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Running time is approximately 122 minutes.
