Coastal Carolina University hopes to reach creative new heights with their second annual film festival.
Beginning on April 16, the film festival continues to serve as a launch point for all students with a passion for film. Organizers hope the event encourages students to take risks, be brave and share their stories.
This year the CCU film festival has extended their applications to worldwide submissions. While there have been over 1,000 applicants internationally, the film festival is still aiming to highlight the work of CCU students and alumni across various disciplines.
The two main themes for this year’s films are: “Civic Initiative” and “Love Letter to Myrtle Beach.”
The “Civic Initiative” category encourages filmmakers to think about their communities and how relationships can grow despite differences. On the other hand, the mission of the “Love Letter to Myrtle Beach” category is to capture the beauty and atmosphere of Myrtle Beach through the lens of a visitor.
The festival aims to provide students with the full A-list experience. The festival will include film screenings, Q&A sessions and post-festival receptions. Nine award categories will be presented, two of which will be awarded with cash prizes.
“There is going to be a teal carpet, a teal rope, it’s going to be like a CCU version of the Oscars,” Chair of the Interdisciplinary Studies department Elizabeth Baltes said.
Joshua Bruni, CCU film festival director and visiting lecturer for interdisciplinary studies, urged aspiring filmmakers to take a chance on their work.
“Submit a film,” Bruni said. “There’s no such thing as a perfect film. We love creativity, we love experimental films, we love fiction, we love nonfiction, we love it all.”
For students just getting started with a film, Bruni emphasized that there is plenty of equipment available to borrow, and that students can receive guidance outside of the classroom.
“If any students want one on one coaching, I’m more than welcome to have them come to office hours,” Bruni said. “I would love to teach them.”
Frederick Fortner, a senior theatre major with a minor in film, is participating in the film festival for the second consecutive year. With a new narrative to share, Fortner hopes to continue to build on the previous year’s positive experience.
“Your work’s your baby,” Fortner said. “You see it playing back at you and you wonder if it is received well. Then you hear people gasp, you hear their reaction and it’s surreal.”
Fortner shared the lessons he learned throughout the film making process in hopes of providing creative insights to those entering the festival. He highlighted the importance of establishing realistic expectations while putting a film together and focusing on details.
“It doesn’t always happen from start to finish, sometimes you have to start at the end, the middle and sometimes you don’t even know how things will get made,” Fortner said. “The film makes itself once you get the ball rolling.”
Along with growing respect from his peers, Fortner has reached a turning point in his professional career, receiving more than just compliments, but industry opportunities as well.
“A lot of people have started taking me more seriously as a creator. That was my main goal; I wanted people to take me seriously as a filmmaker, and I feel like I achieved that,” Fortner said.
