Glenbard West students score at film festival

The two films couldn't have been more different.

One was a lighthearted horror flick, the other a serious film - but there was something they both had in common. Both productions were submitted by Glenbard West High School student filmmakers Dylan Sherman and John McGinnis and took awards at the After Hours Film Society's 2008 Student Short Film and Video Festival at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove.

The screening of the films and the announcement of the winners took place recently at a special engagement at the historic Tivoli Theatre. Students from as far away as the United Kingdom were recognized as winners, including the two high school students from the Glen Ellyn high school.

Sherman, a Glenbard West senior, won first place in the high school fiction category for " Forest of Fear," a six-minute short film featuring fellow classmates Mason Handke, Alex Makowski, Ted McArdle, and with a role played, Hitchcock-style, by the filmmaker himself. Originally, the film was made for Sherman's radio/TV class.

"It's about teens who go into the woods to drink," said Sherman. "They end up getting killed one by one."

Does the film carry a deeper message, perhaps a statement about the dangers of teen drinking?

"Not really," said Sherman, who was inspired to make the film due to his interest in older, classic movies, and a fondness for the works of Sam Raimi, who created the "Evil Dead" series.

The second film, "My Epilogue," is a somber film by McGinnis, addressing the topic of teen suicide. It took a second-place award in the high school fiction category. Its script, based on a suicide note, illustrates the sense of overwhelming responsibility, sadness and desperation that weighs on today's teens. The original story was written by classmate Zack Carlstrom, who also stars in the film.

"It's sort of like an afterthought, on the ending of his life," said McGinnis. "He (Carlstrom) had written a short story. I thought it would really transfer well into film. I decided to capture that."

According to film festival organizer Debbie Venezia, the point of the festival is to nurture and acknowledge young talent that she knows is out there. Venezia is a Glen Ellyn resident and founder of the After Hours Film Society, which regularly meets at the Tivoli in Downers Grove to screen thought-provoking films that would normally not be found at the local megaplex.

The entries to the student film festival were judged on creativity, originality, determination and ambition.

She admits the location of the film festival is part of the draw.

"The theater itself is such a palace," she said. "It was fun this year, and we had a nice crop of films.

"I do want to encourage students to pursue their dream," said Venezia. "We provide an outlet for them to express themselves on the big screen."

McGinnis' love for film will be factor in his choice of colleges. He is looking at film schools including Syracuse, NYU and USC.

"This definitely has helped to encourage me," said Sherman, who is considering studying film production and is looking at universities with related programs. "It's nice when someone acknowledges your films."

For details about the After Hours Film Society, visit the Web site at afterhoursfilmsociety.com.