WTHS to Host 6th Annual Artists Alike Student Film Festival
Washington Township High School will serve as the host site for the 6th Annual Artists Alike Film Festival on Thursday, February 6, 2020, at 6:15 p.m. at the school’s Investors Bank Performing Arts Center. The prestigious, red-carpet event highlights the work of high school filmmakers and promotes positive and powerful messages through media and art.
Students from Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean Counties will have the chance to showcase their filmmaking talents to the community. Students will enter their works in categories of Public Service Announcement, Narrative, Comedy, Movie Trailer, Drama, Suspense, and Experimental.
This year, Artists Alike Studios teamed up with the New Jersey School Boards Association, Garden State Film Festival, the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission and Steven Van Zandt’s TeachRock initiative and the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation to initiate a new category - New Jersey Hometown Documentary Short. Films produced in this category will focus on some aspect of the students' hometown that profiles an interesting person, place, time period or subject who is related to the arts. This new film submission category has been created to encourage young filmmakers’ creativity while instilling a sense of pride in where they are from.
Students will be judged and receive feedback from seasoned industry professionals. Winners of each category will have their film screened at New Jersey’s premier independent film festival, the Garden State Film Festival, March 25-29, 2020, with a chance to be recognized on an international level with other independent filmmakers.
“We have always had a strong passion in youth development in the arts, and we strive to collaborate in educational outreach by showcasing the talents of New Jersey student filmmakers through hosting a statewide high school film festival,” WTHS teacher of television production and Director of Operations for the Garden State Film Festival Kristen Dirato said.
“The distinct vision of the Artists Alike Film Festival was formed when I recognized the potential of our youth while working in education and wanted to develop an outlet to showcase the students’ work,” Dirato added. “The television, film and media programs throughout the high schools in New Jersey provide students with hands-on learning of production, including script writing for various audiences, video/audio editing, and live multi-camera news production. The Academy Award-style event honors and rewards students for their accomplishments, providing recognition to those who excel in each genre along with presenting additional special achievements for our youth.”
The Artists Alike Film Festival has showcased more than 270 films from 25 high schools in 10 New Jersey counties over the past six years.
Admission to the event is $3 for students and $5 for adults. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
For additional information, please contact Kristen Dirato at kdirato@wtps.org.