by Liam Trump ‘24

After two years of absence, the Sherwood Film Festival is back to showcase student filmmakers. Literature as Film and English teacher Christiane Lock along with Film Club officers will be organizing the festival, which will take place in the media center during lunch on Thursday, April 21 to coincide with the art show. Unlike in years past, only students from Sherwood can submit their films for possible inclusion in the festival. Students will also now be able to submit their films from the past two years to compensate for the festival’s prior absence. 

“It’s easier for kids to attend when it’s the daytime and they’re already here and I think there’s going to be a lot of support for everybody to bring their friends,” said Lock. “The whole point of the festival is to give this platform–this opportunity to people to show their work.”

There will be two categories for submissions: narrative and documentary, with the first prize winner for each category receiving $100 and the second prize winners getting $50. Participation certificates will be given to filmmakers who don’t win a category. The funding for the prize money will come from a Super Smash Bros. tournament the Film Club organized a few years ago as well as grants given to the club. Each movie must be 6 minutes or under and 10 submissions will be chosen to screen at the festival. To judge the submissions, Film Club officers who aren’t sending in their own movies, as well as several teachers, will be on the panel. Submissions will be judged on their story, characters, technical merit, editing, and overall creativity. 

Sophomore Ryan Agostino is submitting his film “Funckeltown” to the narrative category. It’s a 5-minute long spy-action-mafia comedy made during his time in Lock’s Literature as Film class. “I’m looking forward to [the festival] because it’s going to be fun to show my video,” said Agostino. “It was a really fun experience making and directing it.”

As for advertising, the Film Club has been promoting the festival through social media, the morning announcements, and flyers around the school. The club’s ambassadors have also been handing out flyers directly to fellow students. “We’re hoping to just inspire more students,” said sophomore Film Club president Vittoria Satterlee. The Sherwood Film Festival is “a really good opportunity for anyone who has a passion for film [who] really [wants] to just explore it.”