Written by Jenna Sampson
Harding University will host the annual 5-Minute Film Festival Friday, Nov. 12, when five minutes can make audiences laugh, cry or question the meaning of life.The festival will begin at 7 p.m. in the Benson Auditorium, and for three hours student-produced films will be shown.All entries will be judged by the audience, and senior Grant Dillon, director of the festival, said the judging technique is something that makes the 5-Minute Film Festival unique.”Like American Idol, all the judging is handled completely by the audience. We feel that this is the most fun, active, engaging and democratic way to handle the awards process,” Dillon said. “Everyone gets a fair say in who wins, and when the winners are announced, the audience feels an active connection to the film and the filmmakers, knowing that they helped put them on the stage.”Unlike most film festivals, not every filmmaker who participates has experience, and Harding’s 5-Minute Film Festival does not have certain categories for the entries. The creators of the festival said they think that requiring participants to fit their films into a category would discourage creativity.”We basically have a philosophy of ‘anything goes’ as long as it’s Harding appropriate,” Dillon said. “We didn’t want people to look at a list of traditional categories and say, ‘Well, my film doesn’t fit anywhere, so I won’t send it in.’ If YouTube has taught us anything, it’s that the world has a lot to say and a million ways to say it. That’s the spirit we want to tap into with the 5-Minute Film Festival.”To make the premiere possible, Dillon said, countless hours were volunteered by the National Broadcasting Society, the members of the Honors Council and the students who submitted a film, hoping to benefit both audience and filmmaker.”The 5-Minute Film Festival is really the perfect fit for Harding and Harding students,” Dillon said. “This festival isn’t about prestigious art or serious intellectual discussion; it’s about coming together and having fun and sharing in the collective creativity of the student body. The aspect of community and camaraderie that Harding students share is one of the most defining things about us, and this festival is the perfect match for that spirit.”
