Barrington, Palatine students win at Prairie Arts Center film fest

Student filmmakers from Barrington and Palatine won cash prizes in the Third Annual Screen Test Student Fest, held at the Schaumburg Prairie Arts Center March 14.

Barrington teen Ben Gustafson won Second Place ($150) and Best Comedy ($100) for "The Walker," about his grandfather's animated walker. Alyse Stolz of Palatine won Best Experimental Film ($100) for her original work "Baudio."

Best of Show ($250) and Best Animated Film ($100) went to Lake Forest teen Peter Gundling for "Super Kitten and the Power Pets." Third Place ($100) and Best Dramatic Film ($100) went to Chicagoan Dane Shubert for "Fall Forward."

"Getting into the festival is getting tougher each year," says Rob Pileckis, festival coordinator and production supervisor for Schaumburg's Department of Cultural Services. "Today's kids are the digital generation, where film and video technology is more accessible than ever. They seem to have a natural instinct for this medium."

In all, there were 34 entries for the 12 spots. Entrants range from fifth grade through high school, coming from Arlington Heights, Barrington, Bartlett, Bolingbrook, Chicago, Crystal Lake, Lake Forest and Palatine.

"The films we've seen this year are far more sophisticated than anything we've had in the past," Pileckis adds, "not only technically, but artistically as well."

A panel of professionals from the film and video industry judged the entries and cash prizes included $250 for best in show, $150 for second overall and $100 for third place. Best shorts in each category - drama, comedy, experimental, nonfiction and animation - won a $100 cash prize.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=1&type=video&item=233">Dann Gire interviews Alyse Stolz</a></li> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=1&type=video&item=234">Dann Gire interviews the creators of "The Walker"</a></li> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=1&type=video&item=235">"Baudio"</a></li> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=1&type=video&item=236">"The Walker"</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>