Student filmmakers from The University of Alabama were recently presented awards from The Campus MovieFest International at the Fox Studios in Hollywood, Calif., for their achievements in creating student films.

June 22, Connor Simpson, a 2013 UA graduate with a degree in media production, and Alex Beatty, a junior majoring in media production, were both recipients of awards, an indication of the quality of the filmmaking programs offered to students at the University, Rachel Raimist, assistant director of Creative Campus, said.

“I am extremely proud that our media production students in the department of telecommunication and film are not just competing against the top film schools in the country and placing high, but are winning the top prizes at national showcases such as Campus MovieFest,” Raimist said. “The department of telecommunication and film is emerging as a top film school in the South and a leader in the nation.”

Raimist said student participation is important in film competitions for those interested in breaking into the industry. Festivals and showcases allow students to have their work released to audiences, critics and industry professionals for feedback and opportunities.

“Film is an extremely competitive career,” Raimist said. “If our majors want to develop their vision and skills and graduate with the ability to compete on a national level, they need to make films and submit them to student festivals such as Campus MovieFest.”

Simpson, who won Best Director and Best Picture awards for his movie “Manta,” said making an award-winning motion picture is no small feat. It involves story and script development, story boards, casting, finding filming locations, shooting, and, finally, editing. Simpson said the process is typically time–consuming, but he and his team did not have the luxury of a large time frame.

“The interesting thing about ‘Manta’ is that we had to do most of this in one week,” Simpson said. “It was an incredibly fun and rewarding process, but it was definitely stressful. Having a talented and dedicated team made it possible.”

After shooting his film quickly at the beginning of the year, Simpson saw his movie begin to gain notoriety after entering in a local film competition called Campus MovieFest. They then went on to CMF International in Hollywood, Calif., in June, where “Manta” took home Best Director and Best Picture.

Simpson said he was unaware of his film’s nomination for more than one award and was in disbelief when the movie took home two of the top awards.

“There was a mix of über excitement and disbelief when we won both awards,” Simpson said. “We knew that the film was nominated for Best Director, but finding out that we were also nominated for Best Picture was a complete surprise. And actually winning both was an unreal experience. There were a lot of high fives.”

Simpson said festivals and competitions such as Campus MovieFest are vitally important in fostering the next generation of filmmakers in order to keep the industry moving forward.

“It’s important to promote student filmmaking because, as corny as it sounds, students are the future of the industry,” Simpson said. “If we aren’t given the opportunity to pursue our passions and grow, then the industry will become stale and talent-starved. Great ideas aren’t and shouldn’t be reserved for ‘professionals.’ There are thousands of young people with a story to tell, and they need to be able to have the opportunity to tell it.”

For students interested in filmmaking, Simpson said understanding film and then using trial and error will spawn the best results, simply by getting a feel for your camera and what you are doing with it.

“If you’re interested in filmmaking, the best thing you can do to start out is watch movies,” Simspon said. “Figure out what kind of stories resonate with you and what visual styles catch your eye. Then, it’s a matter of getting out and shooting. There’s nothing better than constant practice to make you a better filmmaker. Of course, it also takes a lot of reading and research for the technical stuff, but just get out there and shoot.”