The University may not have a cutting-edge, nationally renowned film program like some other schools (suggestion: start one), but that doesn't mean it has no cutting-edge, soon-to-be-renowned filmmakers. They're here, and they're good. And anyone who sees their work, to be showcased in Sunday's Salmagundi Film Festival, will be impressed by this small but growing contingent of students.
Put on by the Film and Media Society, this year's Salmagundi has a roster of 14 films, ranging from less than 2 to almost 18 minutes long and covering all sorts of subjects. From grocery carts falling in love to American cultural obsessions to Charlottesville's very own "Running Man."
Started in 2000, the festival has been so successful that it has become FMS's annual fundraiser, and the competition is tougher each year. This year's Salmagundi is sponsored by Apple Computers and will be judged by a panel of seven professionals in the field of film and media. Three deserving winners will get prizes, donated by Apple. Of the 33 films submitted, FMS compiled the 14 best to make a two-hour program well worth the $3 price of admission.
Fourth-year College student Andy Alexander, vice president of FMS, has been part of Salmagundi since its humble beginnings.
"Last year [the festival] just kind of exploded, the quality was so good," he said. "I've gotten to see the growth, which has been really cool."
Alexander's submission, "Speak Yet Again," was a collaboration with his brother, Matt, who left last week for Kuwait. The film, shot with an 8mm camera, mixes original material with found footage, some of past wars, to create the memories of a fictional narrator whose words are written out silent movie-style. A moving film with a timeless quality, beautifully shot and edited, "Speak Yet Again" is hard to forget.
"A lot of it wasn't planned -- it just kind of fit together," Alexander said. Would that we all had such luck.
FMS Co-president and fourth-year College student Ray McCoy made "Gift Horse" as a class assignment. Nine minutes long, the story is driven almost entirely by cinematography, with a continuous voiceover holding the steering wheel. Its story is bittersweet, dealing with, as McCoy summarized, "feelings of unrequited love."
Third-year College student Jarrett Lee Conaway took a different approach to a similar storyline. "Vanilla Shake" flashes back to the 1950s, complete with the diner, the milkshake and That Perfect Girl. (You know the one. She's always blonde.)
"I tend to envision one shot, and that shot will turn into a whole film," Conaway said, explaining his production process. "This time it was a shot of the boy and the girl sipping from the same milkshake."
Asked if he was happy with the way his film turned out, Conaway hesitated, then smiled. "We'll see what other people say," he said. "If I get tears or cheers, I know I've done my job."
Kevin Wu, a first-year student, seemed to be one to watch over his time at U.Va. His film, "Eyes on Me," puts a fresh spin on giving in to society's version of beauty.
"It was a spur-of-the-moment idea," he said. "I wanted to expose our society's obsession with beauty by making a film with an obsession about a ridiculous feature."
In "Eyes on Me," Wu creates an alternate version of reality, complete with advertisements, TV newscasts and sunglasses made only for wideset eyes ("Why?" you ask? Go see the movie, why don't you!). Although he is hesitant to call it science fiction, Wu admits to being pulled toward fantasy.
"In terms of storytelling, I'm really attracted to the supernatural or fantasy world," he said. "I try to shy away from it, though, because it's easier to shoot realistically." As he has several years remaining at the University, however, Wu certainly has time to expose the community to any future experimentation he chooses to attempt.
In addition to all of the above delightful films, there are many more to be shown on Sunday, including a documentary on the Running Man ("Buddy," by Brian Davis) and a tribute to elderly substitute teachers everywhere ("Dolores Branch," submitted by Jeff Anderson and Tristan Davis), not to mention Doreen Akosua-Adoma Owusu's poignant and disturbing "Every Minute."
And come early; last year's two showings were nearly sold out.
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