Oak Ridger: Young Filmmakers Shine

(This story was originally posted in The Oak Ridger on January 3, 2006. It has been reprinted here for archival purposes.)

Young filmmakers shine
By: John Huotari | Oak Ridger Staff
john.huotari@oakridger.com

Moviemaking is not just for creative adults – at least not in Oak Ridge.

Four students from Willow Brook Elementary School had movies entered in an Oak Ridge film festival on Saturday. The festival – “15 Minutes of Fame Film Festival and Workshop” – was held at the Oak Ridge Playhouse and included workshops and film screenings.

At least one of the young filmmakers seemed a little nervous about seeing her work on screen.

“I’m embarrassed,” said Madison Dittner, 9, a Willow Brook fourth-grade student who put together a documentary on sharks and sea crabs, one part of a three-part documentary on sea life. Dittner said other festival movies were better than hers.

Her filmmaking teacher, Mike Bundy, a Willow Brook counselor and director of an after-school moviemaking club, said his students, including Dittner, might have thought some films were more entertaining.

But Bundy said he is proud of his students, who learn, he said, as they put their movies together.

“It’s more than just a toy,” Bundy said. “We’re integrating it into our curriculum.”

Bundy’s students won two awards.

Put together by three students, the three-part documentary, called “Sea Life,” won the Audience Award. And a documentary called “The Sioux Indians,” by student Ricky Goyette, won the Best Documentary Film Award.

The end-of-year film festival might not have been as well-attended as one held last February, but those who came said they supported the efforts of the young filmmakers.

“It’s encouraging to see the young people who have submitted,” said Rick Greene of Knoxville. His son, Trevor Greene, had a short called “Copy” that won the Promising Student Filmmaker Award.

“The most important thing to me is to see what the kids are doing,” said Herb Snouffer, the playhouse’s technical director.

Festival Director Keith McDaniel also said the kids’ works are important. He and his wife, Dana, plan to have a student film festival next spring at the playhouse, and they are starting a film club this week at Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge.

Besides the previously-mentioned film festival award winners, others included:
* The Best of Festival and the Best Short Film awards went to Jeff Courter of Los Angeles for “The Choices We Make.”

* The Best Music Video Award went to Kyle Millen of Los Angeles for “You are Beautiful.”

* The Best Animation/Experimental Film Award went to John Taddeo of Lighthouse Point, Fla., for “Zoom Suit.”

* The Best East Tennessee Film Award went to Brian Greer of Knoxville for a short film called “Escape.”