Marshall students have the opportunity to enjoy a night of film at the Marshall University Student Short Film Festival Thursday.

The Student Short Film Festival will begin at 7 p.m. in Smith Hall, room 154. The festival was organized by Walter Squire, director of the Film Studies program, with the help of Ian Nolte, an instructor in the English department.

“[Squire] and I were aware of many filmmakers working on campus, both in Film Studies courses as well as on their own independent productions, and we thought the university needed a night to collect and showcase these works,” Nolte said.

“So frequently student filmmakers are making things and throwing them up online,” Nolte said. “I think they rarely get to experience the festival atmosphere of sitting in a big crowd and watching your work on the big screen. We wanted to have an event to celebrate, promote and encourage filmmaking at Marshall University.”
The festival will showcase a little over two hours of content that will include funny, informative and moving films.

“I think there are a little over 25 individual films ranging from video experiments of less than a minute to narrative shorts fifteen minutes long,” Nolte said. “There are video essays, stop motion projects, documentaries, television commercials, sketches and promos.”

“One student wrote an entire season of a web series and decided to film the first two episodes. Those will be shown at the festival,” Squire said.

“I think people that come to the festival will all find something different that inspires them. Whether it is a piece of writing, an image, a performance or a joke. Something that makes them recognize the talent and passion for film in our university community,” Nolte said.

The festival will also provide students with networking opportunities with filmmakers.

“I hope this is a chance for student filmmakers to meet each other and see each other’s work, to get ideas and inspiration and form new collaborations for future productions,” Nolte said.

Nolte said the festival is an outstanding opportunity for anyone with an interest in film and filmmaking to get out and get involved with the art form.

“Personally, I am always truly inspired by people who are working hard, putting in the hours, creating opportunities and making their thing. This will be an evening in celebration of that spirit,” Nolte said.

The student short film festival will last until 9 p.m. and light refreshments will be provided during the event.
Alexia Lilly can be contacted at [email protected].