Young filmmakers honored by District 95 foundation

Posted February 17, 2016 10:00 pm

Submitted by Vanessa Griffin

Student creativity made the big screen Feb. 9 as the directors of 15 short films were showcased at the Fourth Annual District 95 Film Festival at the Lake Zurich Performing Arts Center.

Ten of the films' directors earned awards at the event, which was presented by the District 95 Educational Foundation in cooperation with Community Unit School District 95.

Each year, CUSD 95 students of all ages are invited to submit films, including comedy, drama, documentary, public service announcement and animation. Films range from 3-5 minutes long. Three winning films are chosen from each of three categories: Elementary, Middle School and High School, and one Best in Show award is granted.

Winners receive gift cards and the winning films are showcased on the district website.

Filmmaking calls on students to exercise creativity, collaboration and vision, skills that are in high demand in today's workplaces, according to Lisa Warren, District 95 Board of Education member. Warren has served on the Film Festival committee since its inception in 2013.

"It's been amazing to watch our students grow right along with the quality of the entries we've received," Warren said.

Festival entries have tripled since the first year the event was held.

This year's films showcased plenty of creative storytelling. The Best in Show film, titled "The Cloud is Snowing," was directed by Andrew Orals, an eighth-grade student at Lake Zurich Middle School North. Orals' film adapted an old-type "silent film" motif to comment on the very modern concept of the digital cloud.

Nick Schroeder, a fourth -grader at May Whitney Elementary School, won at the elementary level for "The Best Ride-a-long Ever," which incorporated extraordinarily detailed stop-motion animation using Legos.

Lake Zurich High School student Dylan Petrou won for his moody, beautifully-shot meditation on the coldest season, titled "Winter."

2016 District 95 Film Festival Winners

• Best in Show: "The Cloud is Snowing" directed by Andrew Orals

Elementary Category (Grades K-5)

• First place: Nick Schroeder, "The Best Ride-a-long Ever"

• Second place: Drew Morton, "The Fourth Grade Chronicles: Readers Beware"

• Third place: Gavin Trudeau, "A Day in the Life of a Stormtrooper"

Middle School Category (Grades 6-8)

• First place: Andrew Orals, "The Cloud is Snowing"

• Second place: Grace Lambertson, "Namaste"

• Third place/tie: Mary Boehm & Xanthe Campbell, "The Best Talent"

• Third place/tie: Jacob Swiatek, "The Curse of Backwards Day"

High School Category (Grades 9-12)

• First place: Dylan Petrou, "Winter"

• Second place: Natalie Leahy, "Blaze Your Path"

• Third place: Ashley Faegenburg, "A Message for Alice"