FilmFest will celebrate its 20th annual gala on April 19 at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Abilene.
Created in partnership with the AT&T Learning Studio, the FilmFest Gala is a red carpet event held for student film creatives to publicly present a short film and possibly receive one or more awards. This is a special year for the festival as it will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. The event is open to all, and everyone is encouraged to come and witness a special surprise that will be revealed during the night.
Each year the gala follows a theme that is inspired by current global events. The theme for this year has not been revealed and will remain a surprise. Katie Pantoja, director of FilmFest, said that this year the theme will instead focus on ACU and its film legacy.
“We normally pick a theme based on what is going on in the world,” Pantoja said. “The theme this year is based on 20 years.”
This year has also seen a record number of films admitted with over 30 script submissions. This is reflective of ACU’s creative community for which FilmFest has served as an opportunity to interact with self-expression and innovation. Through special workshops, students involved in the festival have been able to learn from industry professionals on how to hone their skills in trade specialties such as screenwriting and handling music scores.
Holly Reichling, a senior multimedia major from San Antonio, is a member of the film community. Working as a writer, director and a production designer for 16 different short films, Reichling is passionate about Film Fest and the learning opportunities it provides for fellow creatives.
“This is your time to fail,” Recihling said. “It’s okay to make mistakes. You are not always going to make a great film, and you cannot put all of your worth on one film. You can still be proud of yourself. That drive and commitment is what will get you jobs.”
For other students interested in becoming involved in FilmFest, the Learning Studio will be hosting Personality Host Auditions on Thursday at 5 p.m. in Stage One. For more information regarding participation and auditions, contact Katie Pantoja @kxp17c@acu.edu.
