The Campus MovieFest finale attracted a crowd almost big enough to fill up the Ferguson Center Theater.

Forty-five minutes before the screening was supposed to begin, there was already a line forming outside the door, and those that decided to come early were not disappointed.

They had the option of entering themselves to win an iPod, viewing a movie trailer in the latest 3D technology or taking pictures on the red carpet. Once inside the theater, a slideshow of stills from all the student-made five-minute movies kept the audience entertained before the show started.

Thomas Coiner, a senior majoring in telecommunication and film, said the red carpet finales have grown phenomenally in the past four years since Campus MovieFest first came to the University of Alabama.

“This is one of the biggest events that I’ve done,” said J.R. Hardman, the video manager for the Campus MovieFest satellite tour. “The line getting in is pretty long, and we’re just really excited about it.”

Some moviegoers went to the event to support their friends who had made films. Others went hoping that the movies they worked on would be among the 16 shown. Some attended because they thought it would be an interesting way to spend a Thursday night.

“I’m excited about watching everybody else’s videos,” said sophomore and interior design major Amanda Bowler, who came to support a friend. “We’ve already seen her video, but now we get to see a lot of videos.”

Out of 120 teams that submitted a video to Campus MovieFest this year, only 16 were screened and eligible for awards on Thursday night. Those movies came in genres that ranged from laugh-out-loud comedies to tear-jerking dramas. Directors pulled out all the stops to try and have a film that won top honors.

“Bottom of the Glass,” directed by Xavier Burgin, a senior majoring in film production, was the film that was awarded Best Drama. Burgin used puppets to tell a story that dealt with alcoholism.

“Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever won anything,” said Joe Will Field, a freshman majoring in philosophy who worked with Burgin on the film. “We just wanted to go into this making something that people could remember, and that’s what we did. I’ve just never been this happy before.”

The other films that won top honors were “Mind Games,” which took home Best Comedy and “Sugarbaby,” which got Best Picture. Both movies had the audience laughing long after the credits had stopped rolling. The winners in every category received a version of Final Cut Pro software, iPods and a trip to the international finale later this year.

Any of the 13 films that didn’t win a top honor tonight still has a chance to make it to the international finale. Audience members have one week to text votes to pick the AT&T Wild Card winner.

“The movies that are here tonight are all really cool,” Hardman said. “Alabama is always a really talented campus, and we had films that reached over 1000 views on YouTube this week.”

Ann Daykin, promotions manager for Campus MovieFest, said she is counting the days until Campus MovieFest can get back to Alabama next year. She said she was pleased  not only with the turnout at the finale but also with the quality of films that were produced this week.

“The event was a lot of fun,” Field said. “I was looking forward to it all day. When we walked in here, there was a long line and everyone was excited. It was just one heck of a night.”