Western Film Festival 14

The 2008 Western Film Festival proved to be another exciting event.

Kicking off the festivities was Thesis Film, by writer/director Ron DeMarse.  Produced in a faux documentary (“mockumentary”) style, the film follows 12 cinema students as they progress through their final year of film school. Through a combination of live-action video and poignant interviews, the students share their encounters in the classroom, in the field, and behind the camera. As they learn the fundamentals of filmmaking, and apply those techniques to their own movies, their experiences are sometimes peculiar, sometimes somber, but never boring.

The second night featured the explosive documentary, Uncounted.  The film argued that election fraud had changed the outcome of several 2004 elections, led to even greater fraud in 2006, and loomed as an unbridled  threat to local, state and even national elections in 2008.  The controversial feature, by Emmy award-winning director David Earnhardt, examined how easy it is to change election outcomes and undermine election integrity across the U.S.  Earnhardt’s logical, methodical approach to the material forced his audience to consider some frightening possibilities and inspired debate both before and after the screening.

Individual afternoon seminars were conducted by industry professionals, many of whom were alumni of the Western Kentucky University broadcasting program.  Ken Cravens, a music video producer now working in Los Angeles, discussed shooting and editing for that format.  Bently Tittle, also of L.A., shared his knowledge of working in the feature film industry.  And Theresa Carpenter-Beames, of Louisville, presented a seminar on corporate filmmaking.  All three also participated in a series of simulated pitch sessions, giving students an opportunity to share their film and television program concepts, and to receive feedback and constructive criticism. 

The final two nights of the festival featured more than four hours of short films in the categories of animation, narrative, documentary, experimental, and music video.  The projects were created by a combination of college students and independent filmmakers.  Door prizes were awarded and the winning entries in each category were recognized.