Quiet on the set! Teens strip away sound for the ninth annual Student Silent Film Festival
The Student Silent Film Festival is a film competition in which students from 12 Chicago area high schools create original motion pictures. Unlike other film competitions, however, the movies submitted will tell their stories in visual terms without the aid of voices or sound effects.
The ninth annual festival takes place at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove.
Participating high schools and titles of movies:
• Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills — “Witch’s Game”
• Homewood-Flossmoor High School — “The Silence Between Us”
• Huntley High School — “A Deal with Fate”
• Lake Forest High School — “When We Look Up”
• Maine East High School in Park Ridge — “Video Killed the Radio Star”
• Maine South High School in Park Ridge — “Illusion of Control”
• Mundelein High School — “Vanishing Act”
• Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville — “King of Hearts”
• Oak Forest High School — “Final Deal”
• Tinley Park High School — “Missing”
• Vernon Hills High School — “Indeafinitely”
• Lyons Township High School — “The Master Deck”
“We wanted to see if digital-age students could tackle the same challenges faced by pioneers like D.W. Griffith — telling a compelling story without saying a word,” said Ed Newmann, of Hinsdale, one of three founders of the SSFF.
“After nine years of success, the festival has found its home at the historic Tivoli Theatre,” Newman said. “It’s the perfect backdrop for these students to showcase their work, and the quality of the films submitted for 2026 is outstanding.”
All submitted movies will be shown at the film festival with live music accompaniment by Derek Berg, a professional pianist and CEO of the Clarendon Hills Music Academy. The musical scores will be performed on the SilentFilmtronic 2000, a uniquely designed keyboard rig that employs virtual instruments sampled from classic synthesizers circa 1950-80.
“With my keyboard setup, I use a Mac to access a library of 30 vintage synthesizers, orchestral and acoustic instruments, and rhythmic loops,” Berg said. “This setup gives me endless ingredients to craft sounds for any film.”
The Silent Movie is an art form unto itself. The ability to tell a story in purely visual terms, without the aid of a synchronized soundtrack, is a special skill with its own set of challenges and opportunities.
“As an instructor of students who live in a digital world and are saturated by content, it is a refreshing opportunity to challenge my media students with a silent film,” said Bill Allen, supervisor of Television Services at Lyons Township High School.
Beginning in the mid-1910s, small suburban theaters employed a single piano player, but large city theaters had massive theater organs that had a wide range of special effects. Theatrical organs such as the famous “Mighty Wurlitzer” could simulate some orchestral sounds along with percussion effects.
“We believe it is important for the future moviemakers to understand and appreciate the art of cinema as it existed in the 1920s,” Newmann said.
A panel of industry professionals from the entertainment and arts education sectors will evaluate the films. Three winners will be selected based on narrative development, cinematography, lighting, and technical editing.
“In addition to being an incomparable experience for all the participating students,” Newmann said, “the winning filmmakers will have powerful pieces of work for their portfolios.”
The public is invited to the film festival. Starting at 5:30 p.m., there will be a “Red Carpet Social Hour” and a pre-show screening of some student silent films from past festivals.
Advance tickets are $20 and can be ordered at studentsilentfilmfestival.org. Same day tickets are $25 at the door.
Founders and coordinators of the Student Silent Film Festival
In 2017, three men met at an event for high school media educators. Ed Newmann, Bill Allan, and Derek Berg had many common interests which led to friendships. They agreed that film students would benefit from learning about and creating silent films. The inaugural Student Silent Film Festival took place that same year.
• Ed Newmann — Founder and CEO of Calabash Animation
Newmann is a well-known animator and entrepreneur. His professional career began in 1974, when he freelanced at several animation studios in Hollywood. He has been an animator for “Pete’s Dragon,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “Bon Voyage, “Charlie Brown,” several Charlie Brown TV specials, and many more. He had the honor of attending the Academy Awards for Calabash’s first in-house animated short, “Stubble Trouble,” which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short. In addition, the Hinsdale resident taught college-level animation classes at Columbia College in Chicago.
• Bill Allan — Founder and supervisor of television services at Lyons Township High School
Allan has been creating videos since he was 10 years old, and his interest has never waned. He received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in Photo, Film, and Electronic Media from the University of Illinois Chicago. He worked in the commercial film industry, later transitioning to television with Comcast. Allan went back to school for his teaching certificate and became the teacher and station manager at Lyons Township High School television. Over the years, the La Grange resident has made Lyons Township’s TV into one of the leading high school media programs in the Midwest.
• Derek Berg — Founder and CEO of Clarendon Hills Music Academy
From an early age, Berg was fascinated with the creative side of music. He launched the music academy focusing on a student's musical interests, creative elements, and foundation material. Part of the mission of the Clarendon Hills Music Academy is striking a balance between musical mastery and creativity in a stress-free environment. The Clarendon Hills resident dedicated himself to providing a sense of purpose and relevance which are the driving forces of the Clarendon Hills Music Academy.