Vancouver Technical Secondary hosted the Vancouver Motion Picture Teacher (VAMPT) annual film festival showcasing 36 short films from Britannia, John Oliver, Lord Byng, Prince of Wales, Templeton, University Hill and Vancouver Technical Secondary. The collection of short films encompassed a wide range of genres and styles including music videos, science fiction, comedy, experimental, documentaries and dramas. Movies were screened from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Audiences laughed, cried and squealed in delight watching movies with familiar faces and locations interpreted in completely new and creative ways. Students admired each other’s work and spoke about what stood out to them.

“It’s super cool to see these different films from these different schools,” said Zoey from Van Tech Secondary.“ The highlight for me was, 49. I love seeing new animation and it’s so crazy to me that a high school kid can do all that!” 

Corin Browne, film teacher at Templeton Secondary, sees a lot of passionate students in her class.

Although smartphones have made filmmaking more accessible, there’s much more to the craft than meets the eye. Ross Johnstone, with the National Film Board of Canada, provided some resources for students interested in filmmaking.

“NFB Media School is an intensive, online digital storytelling workshop. It is available for free to all BC students,” Johnstone explained. “Another program is Hot House, NFB’s annual animation creation lab series that is geared to helping animators create their first film. “

Cinematheque also offers programs that students may be interested in joining.

“We have varying programs throughout the year, but consistently we offer two programs in spring and summer: Animazing, a stop-motion animation program for youths 8-11, and Action, a live-action filmmaking program for students 11-14,” said Sam Mason.  “We also host our flagship program Cinelab in the summer, which is a fully-fledged two week camp where participants will learn everything about the filmmaking process and apply it to a film they create from start to finish.”

Watch the video below to learn more about these community organizations.

Congratulations to all the students who participated. Judges, Sam Mason (Pacific Cinematheque), Oriana Di Nucci (Independent Filmmaker) and Ross Johnstone (National Film Board of Canada) had the challenge of determining awards. Each category was a testament to all participants’ passion and skills!

Panelists

Awards

• Best Performance: 
  Movie: Comeback King
  Actor: Euan Vandeloo, Gr.12, Templeton Secondary 
  Link: https://vimeo.com/958550570
• Best Documentary:
  Movie:: Matteo Pellazzari: Pucks and Paralympics
  Director: Oliver Moreno, Mina Barnes-Tehrani, Templeton Secondary
  Link: https://vimeo.com/1037578835
• Best Cinematography:
  Movie: Still
  Director: Travis Mikaira, Templeton Secondary
  Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkaf0bQ2HAc
• Best Screenplay:
  Bandits of the Badlands
  Director: Sully Eastwood Metzger, Gr 11, Byng Secondary
• Best Animation:
  Movie: Wait
  Director: Pilhwan Jang, Gr 12, Uhill Secondary
• Best Experimental Film Making
  Movie: One Day I Remember You Die
  Director: Abigail Yang, Gr 12, Uhill Secondary
• Best Ensemble
  Movie: Star Trek, The Human Condition
  Director: Ethan Yeung, Gr 11, Byng Secondary
• Best Direction:
  Movie: Roost
  Director: Mina Barnes-Tehrani, Gr 12, Templeton Secondary
  Link: https://vimeo.com/960395587
• Best Music Video:
  Video: A Place Called Space
  Director: Ayla Sullivan Gr 11, Prince of Wales Secondary
• Best Overall Film: 
  Movie: Untitled
  Director: Artin Hadipour, Gr 9, Vancouver Technical Secondary

Thank you to teachers Sepideh Saii, Nicholas Booker, Michael Edmondson, and Corin Brown for co-ordinating submissions and programming.

Additionally, much appreciation to Celia Jong, VSB’s arts events coordinator, who was pivotal in organizing judges, securing sponsorships and supporting teachers.

Lastly, a big thank you to student technicians from Van Tech for their work in screening all movies.