Thirty-seven student made films screened in person and online last weekend during the sixth annual Indie Memphis Youth Film Fest, September 18th-19th.
“We have always been fortunate to have great, up-and-coming filmmakers in our Youth Film Fest. But this year felt particularly special because of the obvious challenges that were presented to these students over the last year plus,’ said Indie Memphis’ Director of Artist Development and Youth Film Joseph Carr at the virtual awards ceremony on Sunday. “It’s already hard enough to make a good film, but for these filmmakers to overcome everything that the world has thrown at them and remain committed to their projects is so deeply inspiring. The future of Memphis filmmaking, and beyond, is in great hands.”
The jury for this year’s festival was Berlin-based filmmaker Jon-Carlos Evans, Executive Director of the Seattle-based National Film Festival for Talented Youth Dan Hudson, and Kiwi Lanier of the Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema in Birmingham, Alabama. They awarded the Grand Prize to Paul Coffield for “The Lantern Bearer.” The award comes with a $500 cash prize. Coffield also shared the Crew Up Mentorship Audience Award with Asher Crouch, Nyx Love, and mentor Joshua Cannon for the film “Navesmire.”
Another dual winner was a favorite of both audience and professionals. “Touch” by director Georgia Carls took home both the $300 Memphis Youth Audience Award and a Special Jury Award worth $250.
The Jury Award for the Crew Up category, which applies to films created under the Youth Fest’s mentorship program, went to Rachel Ellis, Sam McElroy, Jacobian Taylor, and mentor Robert Bear for “Attention Deficit.”
Graham Whitworth’s proposed project “Burning Bridges” was awarded a $5,000 package from VIA Productions, which includes services and equipment from the Memphis-based film and television production house which will be used to complete the director’s short film.
Anaya Murray’s film “The Pen Pal” earned her the Rising Filmmaker Award. Ethan Torres’s “Crumbling Down” won the Indie Youth Spirit Award, and the National Youth Audience Award, which gave $300 to a non-Memphis filmmaker, was awarded to “Home” by Michelle Saguinsin.
Janay Kelley, a Youth Fest alum who won the 2018 Grand Jury Prize and the 2019 Production Package, said the festival had changed the way she sees herself.
“Receiving the production package award impacted how I saw myself as a creator and as a filmmaker. One thing that I would like to say to you all [youth filmmakers] is that every single last one of you is a filmmaker now. You don’t have to wait until you get a big expensive camera — many of you have shot on your phones — you are a filmmaker now.
“Regardless if you’ve won an award or know all the filmmaking jargon, you will become an even better filmmaker in the future. As you build towards your artistic future make sure that you are centering and nurturing yourself as a person. When I first started making my films I was trying to make things that I thought other people wanted to see and not the films that I wanted to make. So, make sure that every time you are making art, that you are essentially doing it for yourself and that you are putting out the stories that you want to put out. These are the things that you are giving the world so treat them as a gift because you all are a gift.”