After they grabbed their popcorn and drinks, students settled into their seats at the UNM Theater in the SUB for the Cherry Reel Film Festival. Just a few years ago, the event — celebrating the works of UNM film students while awarding the best in show — would have taken less than an hour.
But thanks to a record amount of submissions to this year’s event — 53 total — students were able to see a more diverse slate of efforts created by their peers.
The films themselves were fantastic. The emotional quality was top-notch, especially when paired with perfectly selected music. There was a wide range of films, with some providing a blend of drama and comedy.
“Granny Smith” was one of the highlights with an engaging storyline starting with a grandmother’s funeral and her older grandson reading to the few other people there who could care less. He talks about how they used to bake together, with the film eventually showing him cleaning out his grandmother’s house and finding guns and a briefcase full of drugs with instructions to take the briefcase to her boyfriend. This short film was a marvelous representation of characters and an excellent display of acting by the whole case, not to mention the suitable location scenery and props.
Students were definitely not limited by materials either. One film was produced entirely of cutout paper, shadows and drawings and conveyed touching love story full of adventure and treachery aided by breathtaking sound effects.
“Find Your Wings,” a short animated film produced by Maria Prentice that tells the story of a dragon finding an unconventional way to take to the skies, won first place at the festival, while a Josh-Lane-produced film that sought to complete the phrase “Living is…” won the Audience Choice Award.
Each film was original and creative, and the comedy was hilarious. The video and sound quality are high-grade, and production quality is stellar. These student films have you either laughing out loud, at the edge of your seat or at the brink of tears.
The use of UNM and all around Albuquerque scenery was beautifully refreshing and relatable. It was motivational and inspirational to see that these UNM students could make such magnificent films without a huge expenditure.
Savannah Molina is a culture reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com.
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