Recent grads screen films at Emerson Film Fest

Six Emerson recent grads and one current student screened films they created while attending the College during the 12th Annual Emerson Film Festival at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, California last week.

Alumni who screened their films at the Emerson Film Festival are flanked by LA Program Exeuctive Director Jim Lane (left) and Visual and Media Arts Chair Jonanthan Wacks.

Each year, students throughout the College submit their short films for a chance to have their work showcased for an audience of film and entertainment industry professionals, including Emerson alumni. Five films were selected from more than 60 submissions this year.

Two annual awards were also presented at the festival. BA graduates in Documentary Production Sarah Ginsburg ’10 and Sarah Berkovich ’10 won the Take Action Hollywood! Award at for 10,000 Trees, their documentary that follows 85-year-old Victor Kaufmann as he pursues his lifelong goal to plant 10,000 trees. The award includes a $5,000 prize for the film that most powerfully explores a current social issue. The award was established by Maria Menounos ’00. Phillip Zvitek '10, a former recipient, presented the award.

 Phillip Zvitek '10 (center) presented Sarah Berkovich ’10 (left) and Sarah Ginsburg ’10  $5,000 check for their film 10,000 Trees.

Visual and Media Arts Chair Jonathan Wacks presented the Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf ’71 Women in Film Production Award to BA graduate in Film Production Rachel Globe ’11 for her film Most Likely. The $5,000 award recognizes the festival’s outstanding female filmmaker. Most Likely tells the story of fictional character Alice Darren, who wants nothing more than to be class valedictorian, but on graduation day struggles with accepting her dream amid the circumstances surrounding it.

Rachel Globe ’11 (left) won the Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf ’71 Women in Film Production Award for her film Most Likely.

Also screened at the festival: Movement, by Matthew Figler ’11, a BFA graduate in Cinematography/Videography, and John Pouliot ’11, a BA graduate in Media Studies, which is a personal look at the paths of young people in the Unification Church today; Foundling, by BFA Film Production graduate Adam Talaid ’11, which is about a young woman with no memory who is discovered on the shore of an isolated island by two strangers; and Wrigley and King, by MFA graduate student in Media Art Cornelius Murphy, which is about a man who attends his brother’s funeral and reflects on a childhood memory when his brother took revenge against a neighbor for killing the family dog.