This Saturday, the Southwest Film Center (SWFC) will host the 2018 Cherry Reel Film Festival in the Student Union Building. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., guests are welcomed to gather and enjoy "a film festival for student filmmakers, by student filmmakers.”
The event is sponsored by Canon, and has a $5 entry fee which is cash only. Students presenting their work this year have the opportunity to win a new DSLR and lens that value over $2,500.
SWFC is one of the student service agencies that are overseen by the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico. The agency shows independent and other lesser known films in the SUB theater on weekends during the semester.
The goals of the annual event is to empower young filmmakers to continue making films.
In last year’s film festival, over 70 submissions were considered, with the top 17 being screened in the SUB theater, with genres featured including horror, animated shorts and even music videos.
According to the SFWC website, Cherry Reel Film Festival also wants to offer collaborative opportunities among independent filmmakers in Albuquerque, as well as a competitive environment to drive young filmmakers to produce their best work.
Oct. 12 was the deadline for UNM filmmakers to submit their work. Films submitted had to be the original work of an undergraduate UNM student, and could not exceed fifteen minutes.
On the Cherry Reel Film Festival YouTube channel, a series called “Film Talks” features young UNM filmmakers discussing their creative processes behind their pieces, along with glimpses of previous Cherry Reel Film Festivals to look over.
In one of the “Film Talks,” a former student filmmaker, Joshua Belovarski, discussed his 2015 Cherry Reel Festival entry called “Sweet Dreams, Lyra.”
“To me, filmmaking is one of the most important forms of communication,” Belovarski said. “Not only because you’re communicating thoughts and ideas, but also because you can communicate feelings and emotions.”
Sara Al-Midany is an ASUNM Senator, and said people should attend Cherry Reel because it focuses on cinematic work produced by students and not professionals.
“It’s very inspiring to see what other students can do,” Al-Midany said.
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Despite repeated requests, the SWFC did not provide comment to the Daily Lobo prior to publication.
Macey Rose is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted by email at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @maceyrae9.
