Written by Avery Melhado. Photos by Avery Melhado.
The theater was full of excited faces; the stage was trimmed with gold curtains. The air teemed with the type of energy that only comes from a room full of creatives. At the Tate Student Center, the Backlight Film Festival welcomed student work for its fourth year, opening an important space for students to be celebrated for the unique worlds they had created. Everyone was dressed up to show their work, and chatter filled the air. The room felt electric.
The film festival took place March 29-30 in Athens at the University of Georgia. Submissions were open to undergraduate and graduate students attending universities all throughout the state. 11 films were chosen to be featured in the festival, four of which were created by SCAD students. Accompanied by an array of sponsors from within the industry, the festival provided an exciting opportunity for students to network and be celebrated for their work.
The festival began with a panel on filmmaking in Georgia. The panel (moderated by Professor Jay Hamilton) welcomed esteemed guests—Mayra Garcia, Director of Community Engagement & Internships at Assembly Atlanta, and Anthony Short, an independent movie producer. They focused on questions pertinent to student filmmakers in Georgia, touching on trends in Georgia film, first steps for filmmakers, and general advice for students. Garcia and Short talked about the trend of recognizing below-the-line workers and the new jobs in interning and post-production. They also discussed the way that COVID changed streaming in general and how it’s easier than ever to make lower-budget content.
Both Garcia and Short told industry stories about the importance of letting yourself be open to all fields. Garcia gave the advice that you should “become as well-rounded as you can,” and Short followed that advice with a story of shooting a documentary all by himself. They both emphasized the importance of trying new things and knowing every aspect of the film industry when beginning work. To close, they left the audience of creatives with a piece of inspiration, stating that it’s important to “never stop.” Short explained, “There is the word ‘no’ at every step- and you can’t listen to that word.” Garcia said, “Go back to what you know makes you feel good,” explaining that passion and work ethic are the most important things you can have as a filmmaker.
The festival also honored UGA alumnus Matthew Perkins with the Luminary Alumni Award. His energizing speech touched on ideas relevant to the students in attendance, with Perkins joking about how he was in their shoes some 20 years ago. He emphasized the importance of treating people with respect and kindness, explaining that all you need in the film industry is for one person to believe in you. He noted, “If you have a story in your heart, you can tell it anywhere in the world.” He also stressed the importance of being okay with rejection, saying, “Use rejection as a resource to propel you.” He was down-to-earth and spoke encouragingly to the room full of student filmmakers with such bright hopes for their future. To end his inspiring speech, he explained, “The people that don’t make it are the ones who give up. Don’t give up!”
The SCAD films featured at the festival were “Ascesis” by J. Andrés Labiaga Romo, “Sunday Dinna” by Samantha Venturo, “Chocolate Retriever” by Paige Meakin and “Get Gulled” by Meghana Didugu. “Ascesis” was shown with the mid-length films and was notable not only for its stunning floral motifs but also for its captivating story of a child’s relationship with religion and himself. There was an underlying current of conflict between the child and his relationship with religion, which was shown through beautiful stills and costume design. “Ascesis” won Best Mid-Length Film, which is the only SCAD film to be shown in that category.
“Chocolate Retriever,” directed and written by Paige Meakin, was a comical and touching claymation of a dog eating a chocolate bar and its owner shrinking to go into its stomach to retrieve it. The animation and action that happened in such a short amount of time was unique and beautifully edited, a true show of skill in such a fun medium.
“Get Gulled”, produced by Meghana Didugu, was an action-packed animated short about a girl getting her sandwich stolen by a seagull. The film was made by a 15 person group, and the editing and action in the animation was a feat that not many students achieve. It was beautifully colored and each character was perfectly animated. “Get Gulled” won Best Score for its playful, powerful music highlighting such an active scene.
Last but most certainly not least was the film “Sunday Dinna” by Samantha Venturo. This film was a “labor of love” and had 50 dedicated people working on set. They auditioned 1100 people and held many fundraising events in order to make the film a reality. The hard work paid off, as this film had the entire audience laughing from beginning to end. The genius script was full of fast-paced jokes and authentic characters. The editing, lighting and fourth wall breaks all made this film stand out in the festival and ultimately contributed to its many awards. Sunday Dinna swept the ceremony, winning Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Short-form and Audience Choice.
Other notable works included “Sins of the Still”, “Date Night”, “Wanderer”, and “For the Love of Cats”. Each film had a unique strength, with “Date Night” being a humorous short and “Wanderer” a more poignant story. “Sins of the Still” and “For the Love of Cats” stood out in their use of lighting and editing. All of the films featured were absolutely phenomenal in their own ways, and it was an honor to be able to see the efforts of many students come to fruition.
The Backlight Film Festival fostered a beautiful opportunity for students all around Georgia to showcase their stories and unique talents. The space was filled with students creating simply for the beauty of creating and industry professionals lifting them up for doing so. It was a wonderful look into what happens when student work is celebrated and amplified. Ultimately, the festival created an atmosphere of inspiration, pushing students to use their voices, tell their stories and keep working on their passions. It was an event that was transparently beautiful and left each attendee thinking about the future of their passions, even more certain of the creative pulse that runs within us all.
Avery is double-majoring in Graphic Design and Writing at SCAD. She loves making zines and spending hours in coffee shops reading, writing, and working on projects. When she’s not glued to her laptop, you can find her walking through Forsyth with a dirty chai in hand, probably still writing in her notes app.
