16th CityShorts Gives College Filmmakers The Red Carpet
By Daniela Fiestas-Paredes
City College of San Francisco Cinema department is hosting its 16th “CityShorts Festival” on Thursday, May 19th at Diego Rivera Theatre.
In 2001, department developed the idea of creating a festival that could allow students to present their work. Around 80 short films were entered the first year.
The film festival took place in Conlan Hall until it moved to the Diego Rivera Theatre 12 years ago.
This festival was created to recognize d student achievements in an immediate way, either locally or within the school, because the San Francisco film community is very united.
Films vary all across the spectrum, reflecting the variety of student’s life experiences and bringing together a multitude of thoughts, feelings and expressions.
“This is a unique experience for cinema students to get recognized with the work they are doing,”
Denah Johnston, Organizer
In the festival, students show their capacity to understand the theory of advance cinematography, as well as directing, editing, managing sound designed and creating visual effects.
Every year, the cinema department honors someone who has excelled and acknowledges their contributions to the college.
This year, the film festival is dedicated to City College instructor Dina Ciraulo, who passed away in January at the age of 52.
CityShorts Festival was also created to put together the Cinema 40 Film Festival class, giving students a miniature overview of what it takes to organize a big festival. It is a group show and everything is created by collaborative effort.
“This is a unique experience for cinema students to get recognized with the work they are doing,” Denah Johnston said, who is one CityShorts organizer.
The possibility of meeting different kinds of people through the festival allows students to network with each other better in order to work together on future projects.
The one and only prerequisite to have a film displayed at the festival is that the work must have begun or been executed during a City College cinema class in the last year-and-a-half.
For the first time in the 16-year history of this festival, audience awards are going to be conducted. A reception has also been organized with live music and refreshments.
Also, a green-screen that will be set up the day of the festival will allow the department to create the illusion of a red carpet, add community sponsors’ names and logos, and to capture photographs of festival attendees.
CityShorts Film Festival will take place on Thursday May 19th, 2016 at 6 p.m. at the Diego Rivera Theatre with 12 to 20 short films of varying lengths. A suggested donation of $3 is recommended.
For more information visit the cinema department at Facebook.com/CityShorts and Twitter @cityshortsccsf.
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Send an email to: Daniela Fiestas-Paredes