KYRA LYONS ’20
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
My family has always been really big on staying in the movie theater until the end of the credits. I’m not sure when it started or if it was just conditioned behavior inflicted by Marvelmovies, but no matter what movie my family attends, we always stay until the final credit has faded from the screen. I don’t know when it started, but at some point I started envisioning my name listed in the credits.
How cool would it be to have your name listed among famous actresses and actors, or with one of the best directors? It was my dream to attend a movie with my family and have them see my name when they stayed to watch the credits. There was one flaw to my plan – I had zero experience in filmmaking outside of my robust collection of home movies. I gured Iwould have to wait a considerable amount of time until I could put my foot in the door of the film industry.
All that changed when the Trinity Film Festival nation attacked. I had noticed stickers in obscure locations repping the Trinity Film Festival, but still didn’t really know what it was until spring semester my rstyear, when I became a part of the TFF student team. I was able to help plan promotional events and create merchandise for an undergraduate film festival!
You don’t know what you’re missing if you haven’t witnessed a TFF T-shirt and sticker giveaway. There are beach balls. There are completely free T-shirts. There are Walmart Yodel remixes. The passion and energy surrounding the table of a TFF T-shirt giveaway exemplifies the spirit of the festival. There is no question that when one talks about Trinity Film Festival, they are talking about more than just the film.
While all the promotional events and free swag leading up to the event are cool enough on their own, there is nothing that compares to the day of the Trinity Film Festival. Selected undergraduate filmmakers gather from around the world to represent their film at the festival. The short films are screened at the magnificent Cinestudio, but before that there is a glamorous red-carpet event. Filmmakers, guests, and audience members dress to impress – and boy, do they. Cinestudio is a scene straight from the awards season as filmmakers walk the red carpet, take pictures in front of the TFF Banner, and take part in the TFF livestream.
Audience members and guests then view the undergraduate short films alongside the students which created them. Audience members sit in awe as each film plays, and the student filmmakers are ableto see their creations play on the big screen. It is a truly beautiful experience.
Following the screening, guests make their way to the terrace rooms for the awards ceremony. As the judges deliberate, guests and filmmakers enjoy catered food and discuss the short films screened at the festival. There is a buzz in the room, as filmmakers anxiously await the judges’ decision and excitedly discuss their film with their colleagues and newfound fans of their work. The judges emerge from their heated discussion of the films, and the awards ceremony ensues. It is truly inspirational to see the dreams of student lmmakers come true.
Following the screening, guests make their way to the terrace rooms for the awards ceremony. As the judges deliberate, guests and filmmakers enjoy catered food and discuss the short films screened at the festival. There is a buzz in the room, as filmmakers anxiously await the judges’ decision and excitedly discuss their film with their colleagues and newfound fans of their work. The judges emerge from their heated discussion of the films, and the awards ceremony ensues. It is truly inspirational to see the dreams of student lmmakers come true.
When I attended the event last year, I realized that I was closer to achieving my dream of seeing my name in the credits of a movie than I originally thought. All of the lms screened at the festival were created by undergraduate students.
This event is unlike any other hosted at Trinity. Come on May 5. Leave inspired. It’s more than just the film.
This event is unlike any other hosted at Trinity. Come on May 5. Leave inspired. It’s more than just the film.
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