Indie Memphis Youth Film Fest aims to inspire, instruct
“Youth is wasted on the young.” George Bernard Shaw is reputed to have said that.
Did Mr. Shaw know any young people? Attend Saturday’s third annual Indie Memphis Youth Film Fest at the Orpheum’s Halloran Centre, and you’ll suspect he didn’t.
Beginning at 9 a.m. and more or less concluding with a 7:30 p.m. public screening competition of short films created by Memphis-area students, the Youth Film Fest brings together dozens of young people with an interest in the arts in general and filmmaking in particular.
These kids aren’t wasting time: They’re writing, acting, making costumes, wielding cameras, scouting locations and otherwise working toward a possible future as (to use a trendy noun) “creatives.” If they haven’t made a film already, they attend the Youth Fest hoping to get some encouragement from adult professionals — and maybe to meet some like-minded new friends and collaborators.
What’s more, the “daylong experience,” as it is billed, is free for students in grades 7-12, thanks to such sponsors as the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation. (Attendees are encouraged to register early online, but young people who show up at the door won’t be turned away.)
“The value is in finding your tribe — finding people that are like-minded and passionate about what you’re passionate about,” said Indie Memphis Film Festival coordinator May Todd, 26, who also is director of the Youth Film Fest.
“Because filmmaking is so collaborative, it’s an exciting opportunity for students in all areas of the arts and with all types of interests,” she added. “You have so many different types of people and so many different types of talents that are showcased in the creation of a film ... Whether you’re a musician, a seamstress, an artist or just somebody who wants to help out, there’s something for you to do on a film.”
Founded in 2016, the Youth Film Fest is a way for Indie Memphis to assist, motivate and showcase a new generation of filmmakers — and thus encourage the future of filmmaking in general.
“We feel like we are building something for the future that could have a great impact,” said Ryan Watt, Indie Memphis executive director. “It could go beyond Memphis in terms of what these young people are able to create.”
Three of those young people are Andrew Cunningham, Chris Wrenne and K.J. Mauwong, Bartlett friends whose collaboration, “Silence,” will screen during the 4:30 p.m. “CrewUP Mentorship” program, devoted to films created with the assistance of grants and mentors provided by Indie Memphis.
Andrew, 15, earned attention (and the Indie grant) at last year’s youth fest for his film, “Problems.” “Silence,” he said, is the story of a deaf man trying to figure out what the world would sound like if he could hear.
“The Youth Film Fest is a really good festival because when you’re a kid, there’s really not many ways to put your film out there, so you can see it with an audience,” he said.
“I hope we’ll get criticized,” said K.J., 15, “because good criticism honestly makes you better.”
Aimed at beginners as well as at kids with some experience in making videos, the Youth Film Fest includes multiple hands-on, practical workshops about digital technology, camerawork, lighting, editing, acting, music and even stunt choreography, mostly led by local film professionals.
Also, four screenings will take place in the 350-seat Halloran auditorium. The first three are free to students and by donation for adults: The 1:45 p.m. “National Youth Showcase” features six shorts from across the country (“Microbial Monsters” is one title); the 3 p.m. “Memphis Youth Showcase” screens 10 local shorts (“The Adventures of Horse Cop” sounds promising) that are not in competition because the films were produced with some adult assistance; and the 4:30 p.m. “CrewUP Mentorship Program” presents eight films produced by students who have won Indie Memphis grants (“Nothing Gold Can Stay” is the most poetic title).
The youth fest’s signature public event is its fourth screening, the “Memphis Youth Competition” at 7:30 p.m., a showcase of 18 shorts created entirely by students in junior high and high school. Always a fun, even raucous affair, the event concludes with an awards ceremony with cash and production-package prizes. The competition is free for student attendees, but admission is $15 for others.
“Showing something you’ve worked on to a full theater on a large screen, that’s a valuable experience for any filmmaker,” Todd said. “But for people so young, I personally hope it’s an electric experience, and that it will continue their passion for filmmaking.”