Living skies film fest a showcase For students
The Living Skies Student Film Festival kicks off thursday after months of hard work by Luke Halyk and his fellow festival co-ordinators. Halyk, a thirdyear film student originally from foam lake, shared his thoughts on the University of Regina’s 30th annual celebration of student film with Ashley Martin.
Q How much work went into organizing the festival?
A In short, a lot. Halyk and fellow coordinators Jessica Davidson, Matt Ripplinger, Weiye Su and Morgan Jones have been organizing the festival since September. Their work began in earnest December 20, when the call for submissions closed. The co-ordinators watched 1,700 films submitted by student filmmakers from 99 countries, including Belgium, Taiwan, Australia, Iran and Israel. “I spent a lot of my Christmas break watching short films — a lot,” said Halyk. “It is a gruelling process. You want to give every filmmaker that submits the time of day … ( but) it’s tough because after you watch a film, it’s like, ‘OK, I have 458 more films.’” They filtered a selection for the four-person jury to consider. Then they contacted each filmmaker about whether or not their film was selected for screening. In all, 38 films were chosen, including 11 from Saskatchewan. “We want to make sure that our students get the opportunity to screen their work,” said Halyk. “We have a pretty standout program here. We’re the only university that has a bachelor of fine arts in film production between Toronto and Vancouver.”
Q Will any of the international filmmakers be in attendance?
A Not as far as Halyk is aware. “For most of the world, Regina is pretty far away,” he said.
Q Why is it important to celebrate student films?
A For film students, the festival is an opportunity to showcase work on an international stage, said Halyk, and potentially “jump-start” their careers. It’s also a chance to hear from students around the world: “You’re kind of getting a mosaic of the issues and the important things that students in the world are talking about and wanting to tell stories about.” One of the films on offer is student Academy Award-winner It’s Just A Gun by Cuban-American director Brian Robau.
Q Why attend the festival?
A It’s a chance to see something new. “In the bigger scheme of things, there’s so much noise on the internet,” said Halyk. “Film festivals offer this curated platform. … It’s almost like a performance in itself. “Whether you’re a film student or you’re someone who’s just interested in movies or you’re a big local booster and you love supporting arts and culture and stuff, there’s a little bit of everything.” That includes workshops, screenings, receptions and an awards gala and after-party. The festival runs Thursday through Saturday. Film screenings are free to attend and take place in the Campion College Auditorium. The first one begins Thursday at 7 p.m. For more info, visit livingskiesstudentfilmfest.com.