The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: film showcase

  • Film students dive head-first ‘Into The Deep’

    Film students dive head-first ‘Into The Deep’

    by Carlina Grillo

    Into The Deep, a student film-makers showcase, was put on by the Cal Poly Humboldt Art + Film department on Sept. 15 at the John Van Duzer theater. The showcase included a diverse collection of 19 creative short films. 

    Since the fall of 2022, film students have been preparing to make the dive head-first ‘Into The Deep’ with their films for this showcase. Each student film-maker took an exclusive journey of self-discovery to create these one of a kind films, and that was made apparent by the depth in each and every film.

    “‘Into the Deep’ is more than just a theme,” read the program handed out at the showcase. “It’s a guiding principle. It encourages us to venture beyond the surface and embrace the uncharted territories of storytelling,” 

    With a total screen time of around 80 minutes, viewers were taken on a voyage down a deep, and at times dark, college-core rabbit hole. Bouncing between experimental films like ‘Momento Mori,” directed by Wren Kosinski, narratives like “Shrimp Film,” directed by Solomon Winter, and documentaries like “Camino,” directed by Nat Cruz, each piece was completely different from the one before. 

    Film production professors Dr. Michelle Cartier and Dave Jannetta attended the event and expressed the joy they felt during the showcase. 

    “This was the most solid showcase I’ve seen in a minute,” Cartier said. 

    He recalled how big the event used to be pre-pandemic, and how good it felt to see a room full of people celebrating student film-makers. 

    “We’re incredibly proud of the work they’re doing as artists,” Jannetta said. “I want students to make work they’re proud of.” 

    Whether viewers were giggling at Humboldt public bathroom reviews, learning about fisheries and sustainable fishing practices, deep in thought from spoken word and interpretive movement, or questioning their sanity as the films became increasingly unhinged, this showcase proved that Cal Poly Humboldt students are filled to the brim with imagination and creativity.

    John Farley, a film major in his fourth year, directed the three and a half minute film “Circus Peanuts.” This was a memorable satire mafia film that played at the beginning of the show. The film involved local mobster clowns pushing circus peanuts, and a mafia boss dealing with a snitch in their peanut ring. 

    “It was quite a rush to see something I worked on displayed on the big screen,” Farley said. “Sitting next to my crew who helped with the making of this, we were probably laughing the hardest.”

    Farley ran into a bit of trouble behind the scenes. After a whole day of filming, the original footage for the film was deleted. What viewers saw at the showcase, was actually the second attempt.

    “I felt so defeated, but luckily we were able to rally the troops to get another crack at it,” Farley said. “We got together the following week and shot the entire film in one day. It was fast paced, but an absolute blast getting what we needed to get between scenes and locations. When the actors can’t keep a straight face during a scene and end up breaking character, it is a reassuring feeling that what I’m making will turn out funny.”

    At one point in the latter half of the night, it seemed like films began bleeding into one another and causing a sense of chaos that made viewers question their sense of time. This chaos was apparent as viewers would begin to give an applause just to realize the film wasn’t over. 

    Eventually, realization struck the audience that these pieces were all a part of the larger puzzle: “Teen High School Movie: The Show: The Broadcast,” directed by Mara Lifquist. This film could be described as “Black Mirror” esque, and that is a compliment not to take lightly. This narrative film was around 14 minutes and contained satire commercials, frequent call backs and impressive horror effects. Between laughter and fear was a dissociation from reality that prompted a yearning to watch the film again.

    At the end of the night, viewers left the John Van Duzer theater feeling inspired, touched and possibly disoriented.

  • Humboldt students screen their work in film showcase

    Humboldt students screen their work in film showcase

    By Emma Sjostrom

    Originally printed February 22, 2023

    Cal Poly Humboldt film students screened their films at the Film III Showcase on Feb. 21 at the Van Duzer Theatre. Featuring five short films that students worked on during the 2022 Fall semester, the event served as a chance for students to showcase their work to the campus community.

    With guidance from instructor Sarah Lasley, students wrote and directed the films in the showcase last semester. Lasley remarked that past semesters presented difficulties, with students not having access to practical experience. However, the students’ ambition particularly inspires her.

    “The students are so talented, so it’s been exciting because they all have these huge ambitions,” Lasley said.

    Spanning numerous genres, the films exhibit students’ artistic vision through their timely dialogue, emotional music, and methodical cinematography.

    Richard Schild’s comedy “Monster & Me” features an obnoxious roommate who just so happens to be a red-eyed cryptid. A suit-clad protagonist follows and is in turn pursued by mysterious beings in Matthew Mason’s ethereal thriller “Woman in Gold.” A satirical documentary depicts an ambitious and chaotic Bigfoot-hunting YouTuber in Mara Lifquist’s “The Search.” Daniel Delgado spins a comedic depiction of chaotic friendship in his coming-of-age film “Bad Hombres.” A horrific demon-like creature lurks in the depths of a young person’s home in Izzy Starr’s “Where Will You Hide?” The lineup undoubtedly had viewers chuckling, hiding, and looking on with intrigue; all within an hour’s time. 

    A still from Matthew Mason’s “Woman in Gold.”

    Beyond giving students the chance to look back at their hard work, Lasley mentioned the importance of students gaining the sometimes anxiety-ridden experience of screening their work to a broader audience. Delgado commented on the nerves that can come up from such an experience. 

    “It’s cool, but also overwhelming because I have never done [the showcase] before,” Delgado said. “But it’s cool, it does feel a little rewarding.”

    A soon-to-be graduate from the film program, Delgado remarked at the experience of working with and screening the film alongside fellow student directors, how they all bring their personalities to their work. “[We all] see the world differently and that reflects in our films,” Delgado said. “So it’s just cool to collaborate with people like that. I think we all inspire each other, and that gets us excited for what we do.”

    As film students get that experience, the campus community meanwhile gets to see the artwork that students have created. Through the showcase, Lasley hopes that students in the film program and beyond can see the possibilities of what can be created.

    “It’s one of those moments where I feel like you’re watching people exceed their own expectations of themselves in a way,” Lasley said. “And that’s my favorite. That’s why I teach, to show people that they’re bigger than they think.”

    Students whose films were featured are currently working on new productions for final film projects, which will be featured in the Fall 2023 showcase later this year.