It's happening again. The time of the year when those CHUDs* we like to call FilmMaker's Studio kids bubble up from the depths of their secret celluloid world to finally expose their work to us normal students. It is a miraculous time -- a time of stardom, a time of praise, a time of profit. And they call it Salmagundi.
You may have heard mention of Salmagundi -- maybe a suggestion from one of your hipster friends, maybe from the flyers or maybe you attended a previous festival and consider yourself a Salmagundi connoisseur. But when you stop to ponder, you may ask yourself, "What exactly is Salmagundi, and where did it come from?"
According to Merriam-Webster online, Salmagundi is "1 : a salad plate of chopped meats, anchovies, eggs and vegetables arranged in rows for contrast and dressed with a salad dressing, 2 : a heterogeneous mixture: potpourri." Don't get confused -- this is simply the word cleverly chosen by the festival's creators to act as a title and an accurate depiction of the event's diversity.
Way back in 1997, FilmMaker's Studio was a young, blossoming group at the University. Then-President Chayt and Vice President Kristin Adolfson first came up with the idea for a student-led festival, and that April, Salmagundi was born.
In its early years, Salmagundi remained relatively low-key and non-competitive, accepting entries from around the country. But in 2000, its fourth year, Apple became the festival's sponsor. Prizes were now offered -- including an iPod for first place -- and the number of entries dramatically increased. The event became limited to work by students from the state of Virginia, and a selective process was utilized to choose which films would be shown.
Today, Salmagundi has grown considerably. The event now lasts two days, during which two separate series are shown: "longer" short films, lasting up to 25 minutes, and "short shorts," which can be over in a single minute. The list of awards to be won has also expanded. Honors consist of an Audience Award, the Barry Sisson Narrative Award, the Ken Jacobs Experimental Award, a Best of U.Va. Award and Jury Awards for the best three "short shorts."
Last year's Salmagundi was record-breaking in multiple ways. Inspired by the growth in size of the projects, it was the first time hype was built around individual films.
One particular film that garnered significant attention was Han West's The Loss of Life. Though the film was not yet complete and scheduled for screening in the fall of 2005, a "rough cut" viewing was shown to a limited audience followed by a Q&A session with the cast and crew. The Loss of Life was officially FilmMaker's Studio's biggest project to date, with a crew of over 30 people.
There will be some exciting things happening at this year's festival. In the shorts program, about 20 films will be shown, ranging from one to 10 minutes in length.
"This year we have great variety in the types of films being shown," second-year festival organizer Rachel Forse said. "We will be showing films from many genres."
The selective process for the film entries is an arduous one.
"The Film committee met and screened all of the films. They were judged according to a rubric, and then we made selections based on the scores," Forse said.
Though no University student films as immense as The Loss of Life will be shown this year, some larger-scale movies from Regent University's graduate filmmaking program will be screened. Also, in celebration of Salmagundi's ten year anniversary, some classic films from previous years will be shown, along with films completed by Salmagundi alumni in Hollywood.
Guest speaker and producer Tom Shadyac will appear at Salmagundi, following a screening of his film Bruce Almighty.
The event organizers are hoping that the festival will continue its upward trend in turnout and expect over 200 people to attend this year. The film community at the University is steadily growing, and this event has helped to push it along over the past ten years. When asked for some sneak-previews of the upcoming films, Forse said, "Nah, I don't want to ruin it for you."
Tickets will be available in advance at the Newcomb Hall Box Office or at the door immediately before each screening. For more information, visit the website at www.salmagundifilmfestival.com.
* Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers
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