Media School student work in Iris Film Festival
Media School student projects are among the featured films in the community-wide Iris Film Festival at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the IU Cinema.
The festival, organized by film studies lecturer Susanne Schwibs and graduate student Russell Sheaffer, showcases film and video submitted by anyone in the Bloomington area. Judges select the best of the entries for the festival, which also features cash prizes and the Brian Friedman Award for best film.
Among the offerings are Cody the Horse by Xiao Bao; Anthropophagia by Rebecca Butorac, Jamie Hook, Jenny Parker and Eric Zobel; Attention to Detail Guides the Dreamer by Barbara Ann O’Leary; and Motherless Child by Matt Lutz.
“It is really a great venue for highlighting the work that happens around Bloomington, which is something I am very passionate about,” Sheaffer said. “Submissions went up massively this year, with it getting way more competitive.”
Filmmakers have few restrictions when submitting their work. The theme and topic are open ended, and the work must be under seven minutes in length. Films can range from short sketch scenes to commercials to documentaries to music videos.
Attendees are sure to see a variety of projects.
“Iris is worth attending because it is the prime spot to come and see the work that folks are doing in the Bloomington community,” Sheaffer said. “It is a great chance to find potential collaborators, to be inspired and engaged by the work. It is one of those rare chances where people in the fine arts department can see the work people are doing in telecommunications department, and people in communications and culture can see the work people are doing in fine arts.”
Schwibs said the festival started in 2007 as a way for students to show their work.
“The benefits of Iris are numerous,” she said. “The students who participate obtain experience in the festival process, they see what speaks to the judges and the audience, and, hopefully, they are inspired by fellow filmmakers.”
Students who organize the festival gain experience in running such an event, such as creating publicity, selecting the program, recruiting the judges and organizing the screening.
Student John Hardeman will see the debut of his film, Lux et Veritas, which he co-directed with Haley Rios.
“I am anxious to see the interaction that people may or may not have with my film since it has a certain ambiguity,” he said.
Schwibs said she thinks attendees will be intrigued by Hardeman’s and others’ work.
“People should attend to be entertained, inspired, and to get a sense of films being made by students and members of the community and region,” Schwibs said. “Since quite a number of films are student projects, it would be especially informative for students in the new Media School to see what their school mates are up to and what intrigues a festival jury.”
More:
- Admission is free but ticketed. Stop by the IU Auditorium box office for tickets.
- See the list of Iris Festival films.