Welcome, to the F&Mad Film Festival, student film exhibition extraordinaire!
Serving as a reminder that the U has a strong arts program — which sometimes gets lost in the mix of the school’s business and medicine reputation — the F&Mad Student Film Festival exists solely for students and their hard worked-on media.
U students on campus have been spending time producing the films that will be shown on a Tower Theatre screen for three hours this coming Sunday, Sept. 25. Screened back to back, each film will be approximately ten minutes long, giving audience members a glimpse into all the work that is going on in the U’s Film & Media Department.
The event is an annual one. Meant to give students a chance to showcase the 10-minute films they have devoted so much time and energy to, the fact that it is free and in such a fun downtown location makes it a good way to spend an evening.
Sadly in the past, the F&Mad Film Festival has had disappointing representation by the general student body. Whatever the reason, the people just weren’t coming.
To attract more attention to the event, The Party, a student-led group in charge of spreading the word on arts events and helping arts groups host events meant to draw diverse crowds, is devoting their energies to getting the word out there about the upcoming event.
Brianna McLaren, an Emerging Leaders Intern at the College of Fine Arts and a force behind The Party, said, “[The F&Mad Show] is a time to come watch some cool films and support University of Utah students in their artistic careers. It’s also a cool way to discuss the arts.”
This year there will be a reception following the film viewing where students and attending public members can cast their votes for the film they liked the best, with the winner receiving a “Best in Fest” award from the U’s Film & Media Arts Department.
As an added bonus, free cookies will also be provided at the reception.
The F&Mad Student Film Show will take place Sunday, Sept. 25 from 6-9 p.m. in the downtown Tower Theatre at 876 Harvey Milk Blvd, Salt Lake City, UT 84105. All are invited to attend free of charge.
Update
This year’s lineup includes:
Angela Challis
“Undesirables,” Animation
Peter Davidson
“Diego’s Dream,” Documentary/Live action
“The Time Keeper,” Fictional Film/Live Action
Eric Ferguson
“Homeless,” Documentary/Live action
“Westside Leadership,” Documentary/Live action
Maggie Glendenning
“Lengthen,” Fictional Film/Live Action
Stéphane Glynn
“La Ruchute,” Experimental Dance
Jeremiah LaFleur
“Dinosaurs,” Documentary
Walters Mirkss
“Stillness,” Fictional Film/Live Action
Tori Sicklick
“Lucy,” Fictional Film/Live Action
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