fellows film jam
fall 2023
The FELLOWS FILM JAM is a filmmaking contest where teams of 3-4 creatives have ONE WEEKEND to create a 5 minute short film.
THE THEME
WE’RE ALL GROWN UP NOW
What have you learned? What have you yet to experience? “WE’RE ALL GROWN UP NOW” refers to the experience of growing up and it’s ties to our past and future.
In a world constantly moving forward, this theme aims to reflect not only on the nostalgia of our childhoods, and the way those experiences have shaped our society and ourselves, but also how those experiences tie to our present lives and future. How do we perceive the growth that happens during a lifetime? What emotions are tied to those experiences?
Sub-themes include NOSTALGIA, CHILDHOOD, ADULTHOOD, ROMANCE, INDIVIDUALITY, ETC.
FILMS ARE AWARDED BY THE FELLOWS COLLECTIVE TEAM
BEST PICTURE
Headspace
A young man name George comes to terms with his parting ways with some of his prized possessions and the memories they represent, with the help of his new friend Kyla.
Madison Wake: Director, Writer, Production Designer, Editor Assistant - Conor Messier: George, Production Designer, Camera Assistant, Costume Director - Wisdom Morm: Cinematographer, Editor, Colorist, Sound Mixer, Gaffer - Kyli Elise: Kyla, Composer, Sound Director, Location Manager
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dear Me,
A jaded 24 year old laments on their journey to rediscover their childhood self, making peace each step of the way.
Richard Ngo, Brígh Johnston, Ying C.
BEST ON THEME
Now That I'm Grown Up
Young adult Amy receives a letter from her middle school self and reflects on her journey.
Amy - Ryan Cartee, Writer/Director - Caitlyn Phu, Director of Photography - Grace Larey, Editor - Elise Ferencz
BEST SCREENWRITING + AUDIENCE FAVORITE VOTE
My Rosemary
A young woman grapples with living alone while miles away from her elderly family members.
Kate Waldman, Dominic Smith, Veronika Orlovska, and Eric Ducos
BEST IN CREATIVE EXPLORATION
Lonely’s Cure
This short explores the idea that in order to grow and be a member of a community, one has to learn to embrace behaviors different than what we may have grown up knowing.
Directed, Edited, and Filmed by Jack Creasy, Produced by Sophia Oddi, Performed by Bella Allen, Daniel Mangiaracino, Sophia Oddi, We Always Thought the Future Would Be Kind of Fun by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
A Film for a Friend | Fleeting
A soulful woman reflects on the fleetingness of friendships as she gets older and yearns fading memories.
Written & Directed by Eric Nguyen, Performance by Fernanda Flores, Produced by Daze Flores
5 Months Left
An exploration of grief and loneliness through a diegetic lens where we watch a friend-group disintegrate over the course of filming a short film after one of its members moves overseas. The film is shot from the perspective of the best friend as they process the separation and disconnection, using spectrograms and two-way radios as key visual elements.
Acting: Raea; Eve; Nokukhanya Voice Acting: Alex Cinematography: Eve; Nokukhanya; Raea Directing: Eve; Nokukhanya; Raea Writing: Eve; Nokukhanya; Raea Music: Frida (@gimpmusic) Sound Design: Raea Extra Visuals: Raea Set Design: Nokukhanya; Eve; Raea
Memory
A sister copes with the loss of her brother’s memory, and together they decide how to move forward.
Maddie Gaskill, Catherine Olivares, Brandon Tyler Marx, Jenine Dalusong
In Our Own Little World
A young girl hops online to a usually empty chatroom that she used to frequent with her closest friends only to find exactly what she’d been waiting for.
Josie Cruz, Craig Pedroza, & Angelina Smith
Maduro
In the wake of sudden loss, old friends reunite to dredge up the past. Memory proves subjective, unreliable, and dreamlike. Adulthood becomes resisting the urge to hide under the blanket. Growth is not simply forward progress, but transformation: a fermentation of what was. Grapes to wine, wine to grapes.
Cast: Erin Snett, Rory Smith; Editor/Director/Videographer: Mateo Limas; Assistant Director/Lighting Operator/Script Supervisor: Maggie Franckhauser; Written by Maggie Franckhauser, Mateo Limas, Rory Smith, Erin Snett
Calling Home
Moving from childhood home to the next.
Leia Cumpson, Carina DeJesus, Jennifer Pham, Esther Jung
Is there something you want to forget?
“Is there something you want to forget?” explores trauma, loss, self-reflection, and growth through a triptych of stories chronicling three characters' encounters with a notebook that can erase memories. Each short chapter is narrated in personal monologues accompanied by improvised melodies, with titles corresponding with the notebook’s simple instructions for forgetting— remember it, write it, lose it.
Isabel Li, Oriole Song, Brandon Isem Cáceres, Kishore Rajesh
Fork in the Road
Two friends are about to graduate when one of them gets a chance of a lifetime, realizing that a part of growing up is putting certain priorities first.
Danielle Tuiran, Kendry Hilario, James Barra, Valerie Calligy