The 15th annual ReelStories Film Festival took place on campus on the evening of Feb. 9, from 6 to 10 p.m. The festival’s theme for this year was “storytelling is connection,” which is meant to show the connection that storytelling bridges between all aspects of life, the selection committee said.
Students, filmmakers and other members of the community entered the event lavishly on the red carpet in Lower Mullin Town Square. Attendees had the chance to grab a bite to eat, choose a refreshing beverage from a table of selections and take time to get to know the films before the screening.
On the red carpet, Lorenzo Mars, junior Screen Arts major and director, writer and editor of the short film “Cast,” shared his personal goal for the night.
“I just hope they [the audience] see something that makes them laugh,” Mars said. “At the end of the day, I just want to make people laugh.”
At 7 p.m., the viewing of the selected films began. Audience members split between Elkins Auditorium and Smothers Theatre, with VIPs — the directors, production crew, actors and judges — all viewing together in Elkins.
Student Films
Junior Liam Zieg, assistant photo editor for the Graphic, directed “Windows,” which was the first film of the night. Zieg’s film follows a young adult male lead who yearns to find love at first sight, describing eyes as “windows to the soul.”
Junior Liam Zieg, assistant photo editor for the Graphic, holds the poster for his short film “Windows” on Feb. 9, in Upper Mullin Town Square. Zieg was the director, writer, cinematographer and editor of the film.
“Enjoy the Silence” followed “Windows,” which senior Karlina Zanetti directed with the help of assistant director Jacky Ma. The film features an art student who wins the chance of a lifetime, yet her friends are unexpectedly unsupportive. The audience gets a close-up look at what goes through her mind as she finishes her winning portfolio.
Next was Lorenzo Mars’ “Cast,” a hilarious short film about what faking an injury can do to someone. Mars’ goal for the night ultimately came true — the audience was continually laughing throughout the film.
Brooklyn Courtney-Moore, a first-year Theater and Screen Arts major and member of the film’s cast, expressed gratitude for the experience of working on the film.
“He [Lorenzo] is just so full of energy and super excited to be doing what he’s doing,” Courtney-Moore said. “The environment of working on the film was just super fun and upbeat.”
The next film of the night belonged to co-directors Elan Nicol and Dawson Storrs — both senior Screen Arts majors. Nicol and Storrs’ film was a heartwarming documentary called “The Big Stick,” which showed the community behind the group of volunteers and ex-veterans aboard the now-immobile Battleship USS Iowa.
Following the documentary was seniors Annika Huckeba and Sydney Jean-Simon’s “Hidden Joy.” The film portrays a theme of friendship throughout and embodies what it is like to experience true love and support from those around you — its message and scenes about girlhood and enjoying life in the moment caused many in the crowd to tear up.
Junior Hali Orefice’s “Disconnected” hit the screens next and certainly proved to be a fan favorite of the night. The film takes place in both a modern and 80s world, showing what it would be like for someone of the past to experience the advanced technology of today.
Orefice included relatable pop culture references throughout the film for her audience to relate to and offered a lighter, more positive perspective about technology that is often neglected today.
Following “Disconnected” was junior Nick Yi’s “Undefeated,” which was a goofy comedy. The film revealed a strange interaction between two students during a late-night study session, and the audience laughed more and more as the story went on.
The last film of the night belonged to senior Screen Arts major Sophie Kairis, as she premiered her film “When a Fire Starts to Burn.” The film featured stunning cinematography in addition to a captivating storyline in which a student filmmaker wants nothing more than to create exactly what he has envisioned for his first assignment.
Kairis displayed themes of perfectionism, struggles, stress and what it is like to be a creative. The discomfort and angst of the film’s main character reached beyond the screen, all the way to the audience.
The Awards
The festival featured eight awards for the night, which any of the nine films could receive; Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Acting, Best Directing, Best Picture, Audience Choice Award and Impact Award.
There were 17 judges with various areas of expertise within the film world, including directors, producers and other experts in the industry. These judges selected the recipients of six of the awards, while audience members voted for the Audience Choice Award and Impact Award.
“Disconnected” took home five awards, the highest-achieving film of the night. The film received awards for Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Acting, Audience Choice and Best Picture.
“When a Fire Starts to Burn” also had an impressive night — it received the Best Cinematography and Best Directing awards.
Senior Kaela Hockman, the camera operator for “When a Fire Starts to Burn,” said her favorite part of the night was seeing these films truly come to life.
“Getting to see the director’s visions play out [is my favorite part] because I was there from the very beginning,” Hockman said. “And seeing the concepts I could have never imagined myself — it’s just really cool.”
The Impact Award was given in accordance with the theme of the festival, which was “storytelling is connection.” The film that most displayed connectedness within its story and left a lasting impact on the audience would receive this award, the judges said.
“Hidden Joy” earned the Impact Award, and the audience received this exceptionally well. The film received a standing ovation, with many audience members chanting “Hidden Joy, Hidden Joy” as the team behind the film accepted their award.
Seniors Carly Rodriguez and Sofia Thure, two members of the cast of “Hidden Joy,” said the film was a perfect culmination of their four years here at Pepperdine and more than that, the love that their friend group has for each other.
Rodriguez and Thure described the experience as very emotional, as it had a deeper meaning below the surface for everyone involved.
“One of our directors, Annika, has an autoimmune disease, and that is a huge part of her life,” Thure said. “We thought that would be the perfect example to display what she goes through in our little senior girl group and how that plays a role in our friendship and her daily life.”
No one involved in making the film was a Film or Screen Arts major, and creating a short film was more of a bucket list item for their friend group, Rodriguez and Thure said.
“It was astonishing that we even got into the film festival,” Thure said.
ReelStories Film Festival 15 allowed Pepperdine students to come together and enjoy a night of glamour on the red carpet and appreciation for student-made films. The night offered students of all kinds and filmmakers with all visions to come together and appreciate the true beauty of storytelling.
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Contact Amanda Monahan via email: amanda.monahan@pepperdine.edu
