The 21st annual Righetti High School Film Festival is looking for high school students to submit films.
The festival, planned for April, features awards given for best director, editor, screenplay, cinematography, best of show, audience choice, and teacher’s choice. All films must be G rated. Last year’s films included comedy, action, drama, as well as a documentary submission. The festival will feature movie tickets, popcorn, and more and will be held inside the Warrior Gym.
Film and Broadcasting Teacher Robert Garcia said that the festival is entirely student-produced. The annual event helps teach the skills needed to organize and put on a public event, he said.
“They learn about commitment, deadlines, storytelling, and communication with others outside the classroom,’’ he said. “The students also get to see the fruits of their labor and the reactions from the public.’’
At Righetti, the majority of students in the current class are receiving concurrent credit from Allan Hancock College course 110 (Intro to Motion Picture and Video Production). The concurrent credit partnership between the Santa Maria Joint-Union High School District and Hancock is expanding next year, Garcia said.
For information or to submit a film, contact Garcia at rgarcia@smjuhsd.org.
This article appears in Jan 18-25, 2018.