Cultural Event Article

Bianca Smith Reporting & Writing I Owens-Schiele, Elizabeth Cultural Event Article Take 1 Film Festival 21 April 2014 Ten short films by Columbia College Chicago students were recognized April 9 for their originality and depth by both juries and audiences during the Take I Film Festival.

Hosted by the Columbia College Chicago Cinema Art + Science department, the Take 1 Film Festival celebrated films created last fall by Moving Image Production I and II students.

Each MIP I and II class voted on one film per class to be submitted to the Take 1 jury who then narrowed the pool to five MIP I finalists and five MIP II finalists. The reception, screenings, Q-­‐and-­‐A session and award ceremony took place at Columbia College Chicago, 1104 S. Wabash Ave.

Of those nominated and screened from MIP I, “Le Mime Et La Mannequin” by Michael T. Flynn, Eve Studnicka, Caitlyn McMahon and Aaron Puckhaber won the Jury Award and “Ciggs” by Bryce Thompson, Lena McPherson, Mason Adams, Sophie Orner-­‐Thompson received the Audience Award.

Mason Adams, director of photography on “Ciggs” and a freshman film student, articulated that his film’s message evolved into “something bigger” than originally intended.

“The cigarette is explaining who is he compared to everyone else in the world; he’s tired of living in the so-­‐called box he lives in, he wants to experience the world in a different way,” Adams said. “So quit living in a black and white world, go out and “Jill” by Haley Buntrock took the Documentary Jury Award, “American Nightmare” by Ramon Rameriez, Grace Pritula and Travis McKenney received the Jury Award and “Réveuse” by Roshan Louise-­‐Julie and Serena Fath took the Audience Award out of the five MIP II films in the festival.

Eve Studnicka, a Columbia College Chicago freshman film student, who worked on “Le Mime Et La Mannequin” expressed the communal and cultural importance the Take 1 Film Festival has.

“Getting into Take 1 is less important than attending Take 1,” Studnicka said.

“It feels great to have that validation of our work being recognized as well-­‐made or enjoyable or whatever, but I think the biggest thing is to see some of the amazing things that other people are producing within the CCC cinema program.”

Austin Anglin, a freshman and current MIP II student, came to the event eager to see his colleagues’ work since his first semester, “[Take 1] was the goal, this was the winning lap.”

Anglin, who was a MIP I student first semester, mentioned that both “Ciggs” and “Le Mime Et La Mannequin” was what brought him to the festival as well as what he was most excited to experience on the big screen.