The Black Warrior Film Festival will be held Saturday in Reese Phifer. The daylong event, held in conjunction with the department of telecommunication and film, The Student Producer’s Association, Crimson Cinema Productions and Creative Campus, will feature films by UA students along with master classes, panels and activities aimed at promoting local art through student film. The festival will feature three blocks of films, bringing local directors into the spotlight.
Danny Ryan, programming and marketing leader for the festival, believes this will highlight the talent that can be found around the Capstone.
“The films that will be shown are exceptional student films,” Ryan said. “Many have won various awards and have been getting national attention. Some of the films, such as ‘Corner Man’ and ‘Land of Oz,’ have brought this attention to regional perspectives that are relevant to Tuscaloosa.”
Ryan said the reverberations of this film festival and others like it affect local culture in a way that brings people together while pushing artistic innovation to the forefront.
“Films made by these students are reflections of the local culture.” Ryan said. “Their work being shown at the BWFF represents our school, as well as our community. Film festivals are important to the local culture because it allows the community to gather and celebrate the work that other members of this community have done. It helps people to appreciate the local culture and be proud to be a part of it.”
Katie Stewart, who has collaborated on some of the featured projects, said she wants the community to participate and keep a passion for independent film alive in Tuscaloosa.
“Art is everywhere and it makes up our culture,” Stewart said. “It is important to have events that can showcase the local talent. There are talented locals everywhere that go unnoticed and film festivals give everyone a chance to shine.”
One key aspect Stewart pointed out is the difficulty that independent filmmakers face trying to raise the funds to bring their visions to the silver screen.
“It is difficult as a student to get all of the funds and resources you need to make high-quality films,” Stewart said. “It is worth noting that all of these student directors, producers and crewmembers have made it happen.”
The film industry has a reputation for being a job field that is difficult to break into, but organized events like the BWFF seek to give students the opportunity to highlight their potential.
“All of these films are great films that look professional,” Stewart said. ”Many people are not aware that students are learning the skills they will need to make it in the film industry after college. So much energy, sleepless nights and extensive planning have gone into these films just so students can have something to prove that they have what it takes to survive after college in the industry.”
In addition to independent films by UA students, the film festival will also feature activities and speakers geared toward stimulating the creativity of local artists.
“Along with the films being shown are master classes and workshops,” Ryan said. “These will feature editor Angelo Corrao, post-production company Tube Creative, cinematographer Keith Tippit, the makers of the Marble Hornets and a panel on film festivals. After the last film block will be an awards ceremony highlighting the best films and filmmakers of the festival.”
Katie Howard, media correspondent and festival programmer for Creative Campus, said she thinks festival-goers can benefit greatly from the other activities offered.
“While I think the student film screenings are exciting, I think festival attendees should take advantage of the master classes, workshops and panel discussion being offered at the festival,” Howard said. “You will not only learn cool things, but festival-goers will also have a chance to network with these professionals.”
For more information on the Black Warrior Film Festival, please visit creativecampus.ua.edu.
