Annual Five16 Film Festival Showcases Student-Produced Films

ST.PAUL, MN (03/22/2011)(readMedia)-- On April 18 at 7 p.m., Northwestern will host the Five16 Film Festival (Five16), an annual event that showcases the films of Northwestern electronic media communication students. What started as a small film festival focused specifically on the communication department has grown into a campus and community wide event drawing more than 600 attendees. The festival was re-branded three years ago, adding the name Five16 in homage to Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

"It's exciting to watch this event continue to grow year after year," said Ann Sorenson, MFA, associate professor of communication and festival director. "This is a great opportunity for students to produce creative and engaging videos and receive feedback from professionals in the industry. As the festival grows, so does the level of quality and professionalism in the films that the students are producing."

The top films in each category (comedy, drama, documentary, music video and animation) are shown the evening of the festival. Each film is required to be less than eight minutes in length.

There will be a panel of judges representing experts and professionals in the film, television and theatre industry, some of which include:

• Dan Green, M.A., director/producer and faculty at Carnegie Mellon University. Green has worked in TV production on several programs including ER, The Sopranos, Party of Five and The West Wing, has produced a documentary titled Listen, written for a number of other films and commercials, and directed over 50 plays.
• Greg Winter has 12 years of experience directing TV commercials and has been the Director of Photography on two feature films. Winter has led lighting exercises for students in the NWC Productions workshop and taught a course in Cinematography and Lighting at Northwestern in early spring.
• Heidi Stokes of Aaron/Stokes Music + Sound, a creative audio production and postproduction company out of Minneapolis. Aaronn/Stokes provides audio services to the film, video and computer media industries.

"We hope our students and community members see the festival as an opportunity to try something new, develop their talent, expand their creativity or just come and enjoy the work of others," added Sorenson.

View some of last year's entries on the festival's YouTube channel at youtube.com/five16filmfestival. Five16 Film Festival is free and open to the public.

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About Northwestern College

Founded in 1902, Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college in St. Paul, Minn. offering more than 50 undergraduate majors, two master's degrees and several associate degree and certificate programs. More than 3,000 students representing 31 states and 28 countries are enrolled in Northwestern's traditional undergraduate and graduate and continuing education programs in North and South America. Northwestern College exists to provide Christ-centered higher education equipping students to grow intellectually and spiritually, to serve effectively in their professions, and to give God-honoring leadership in the home, church, community, and world. Visit www.nwc.edu.