As the sun sets on the University of Tampa on Wednesday, hundreds of UT
students are expected to gather in Vaughn Center Plaza to watch as the
campus becomes a Hollywood showcase.
UT’s fourth annual
Campus MovieFest will feature the work of the top 16 student teams, who
were given one week to create and edit their own short films.
Billing itself as the world’s largest student film festival, Campus
MovieFest partners with colleges and universities nationwide, giving
students access to film equipment, editing software, and technical
support.
A popular event at UT, made possible in part by
Student Government and Student Productions, the MovieFest this year
included more than 60 student teams that signed up to participate.
Stephanie Dutka, Student Government’s director of special events and a
member of UT’s Campus MovieFest committee, helped create a
documentary-style production as part of the Student Government team in
which students individual students were asked what they would do if
they were president of UT.
“As Student Government, we
decided that we wanted to make a movie and that we wanted it to be
politically themed,” Dutka said. “I thought it was a pretty easy
experience. Campus MovieFest is so helpful with technical support. It’s
a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun, too.”
A committee of
two faculty members and eight students will meet prior to the MovieFest
to choose the top 16 films, which will be shown during the event
finale. Awards will also be given to the student teams behind the top
three films, the best comedy, the best drama and the best overall
picture. The winner of the best picture category will later go on to
compete the Florida’s regional Campus MovieFest competition.
Winning teams receive several selected prizes, including Apple iPods,
airplane tickets, mobile phones, cash and scholarships. Films also
receive professional exposure, with the winners being shown at the
Gasparilla Film Festival and other venues.
Additionally,
this year UT’s MovieFest committee plans to dispense “Golden Minaret”
awards for best actor, best actress and best film created by a student
organization.
Last year, a UT film titled “Dead End” later
went on to be among the top 16 films that reached the national level.
Several other UT student films have also gone on to the national level
in previous years.
“A lot of students have never had the
opportunity to do this, but maybe they have always wanted to,” said
Brandon Chong, Campus MovieFest’s school partnerships coordinator. “We
just give them the opportunity. Maybe it’s a story inside them that
they’ve always wanted to tell.”
For more information about UT’s Campus MovieFest, contact the Student Activities Office at (813) 253-6233.
Information regarding the Campus MovieFest organization can be found at
www.campusmoviefest.com.