Tonight in the Benson Auditorium, the Harding University Film Studies Association as well as the communication and English departments will host the fifth annual 5 Minute Film Festival. Starting at 8 p.m., short films created by students will be presented before the crowd for consideration. The crowd will be given the opportunity to cast their votes and determine which film will win six different awards. Awards include: best film (there will be first, second and third place prizes), worst film, best actor, best screenplay, best music video and best club film.
“It’s a collection of the most creative people on campus,” said Grant Dillion, associate professor and creator of the film festival. “You’re never going to know what will happen.”
The Film Festival is open to all students on campus. The only rules for submission are that the film needs to be appropriate for viewing on campus and must be less than five minutes in length.
Senior Landis Tindell said that because there are so few restrictions, students are able to freely express themselves and their imagination through their work, thereby producing very entertaining films.
Last year’s first place winner in best film was “The President’s Secret,” directed by senior Jon Scott Smith. The film revolved around J.N. Armstrong’s creation of a weather machine and the main character’s efforts to locate it. The winner of the worst film award and second place in best film was “Holmes’ Chrome Gnomes” directed by senior Ross Holmes. “Holmes’ Chrome Gnomes” was a spoof of infomercials in which Holmes is selling his product of chrome gnomes. The submitted films range from serious to ridiculous.
“One of the reasons I put the festival on is because I don’t want people to think film and filmmaking is stuck up,” Dillion said. “I want it to be where anyone can make a movie with their cell phone and have it play in front of 500 people. It is just a celebration of creativity. I want it to have an atmosphere where we aren’t taking ourselves too seriously. It is supposed to be just everyone having a good time enjoying film.”
The purpose of the 5 Minute Film Festival according to the festival’s emcee, senior John Michael Cronin, is to raise money for Harding’s Film Studies Association. Around $1,500 was raised last year. All the money will come from the $5 admission and will go toward helping the film club purchase better equipment.
“The quality of films has gotten better and better every year, and this year will be especially good,” Cronin said. “I hope a lot of people will come out for it. They won’t regret it.”
