Film school students win big
Come to "The Max" to see their films
A student of the Digital Film School at Brooks Secondary is making waves with her documentary Children of War.
Jacinta Rico's film won best documentary at the BC Student Film. She also won a Platinum Remi Award at WorldFest Houston, an international film festival.
Last year, Powell River Digital Film School students received four awards at the BC Student Film Festival and three at the International Film Festival. Students were also nominated for a Leo award and although they didn't win, they were honoured just to be nominated.
This year, Digital Film School students were winners again at WorldFest Houston. They were awarded for Outstanding Creative Excellence in the High School Level Student Productions division for a film called Heed. That film was directed by Addy Blacklock.
Children of War is a nine-minute documentary that tells the story of how Jacinta's grandparents met, how they were torn apart by the Spanish Civil War, and how they were reunited afterwards.
"I was always hearing stories about it when I was little," said Jacinta. "My grandparents talked about it and when I grew up I wanted to know more."
Jacinta and her family moved to Powell River four years ago from Vera Cruz, Mexico.
"When it came time for individual projects Jacinta wanted to do one about her grandparents who still live in Mexico," says Tony Papa, founder of the Powell River Digital Film School and the school's director/instructor.
While filming Children of War, Jacinta talked Papa into letting her take the filming equipment to Mexico. "She convinced me that she would take good care of it," he says.
Because Jacinta's film is so personal in that it tells the story of her grandparents, it is heartfelt. "It really did turn out to be an honourable film. People who see it cry."
The Powell River Digital Film School is now in its third year. The film school's program is open to any Grade 12 student in BC and program graduates are guaranteed enrolment and fast tracked into Capilano University's motion picture program.
This year students are in pre-production for Masquerade.
"They have a short script about an unhappy couple in a marriage. They go separate ways," says Papa. The couple go to a masquerade and meet. "They don't know it's each other and they fall in love from behind the mask."
Students are doing a serious shoot. "It's a three-day shoot with Vancouver actors coming up," Papa explained. "They're learning to deal with bureaucracy," he said, adding that the actors are part of the actors union.
Masquerade will debut on June 18 at 7 pm at the Max Cameron Theatre. Learn more about the Digital Film School by attending the grad screening of work produced this year. Children of War will also be screened.
The Digital Film School still has room for students for students to participate in the program next year. Enrolment is limited so those interested should act quickly.
