Student films overflow with fantastical visions

The showcase audience was especially charmed by the Grade 1 and 2 students from Al-Taqwa College, awarding them the People’s Choice Award for their story of a Fantastical Lost Bag, filled with treasures and delights born of their imagination.

ISV Chief Executive Rachel Holthouse said the student festival was not unlike the bottomless bag in the story – filled with imagination and hidden depths.

‘These films display the talent, creativity and technical skill of the student filmmakers,’ she said. ‘But the young artists have also shared with us their fears and dreams.’

Head of Media at Al-Taqwa College Obayda Kannouj said it was rewarding to see how Media Arts has lifted her students’ self-confidence and creativity.

‘We want our students to enjoy the personal growth and skill-building that come with the film production process,’ Ms Kannouj said. ‘Receiving the People’s Choice Award at this year’s festival is a proud recognition of our students’ hard work and a special moment for them to witness the impact their short film had on the audience.’

Students in different year level categories were recognised for their creative and technical expertise. Selected films were shortlisted from more than 100 entries, and final judging was undertaken by Senior Education Producer at ACMI, Garry Westmore.

The Fantastical Lost Bag, by Year 1 and 2 Media Arts Class at Al-Taqwa College, won the Early Years category in addition to the People’s Choice Award.

In their entry, Year 6 students at Ilim College warned of a wasteland to come if humanity fails to Save Our Planet, with the judge commending their excellent camera work and acting.

Phone addiction was the theme of Yarra Valley Grammar middle year students Kerming Wang, Joshua Zheng, Ivaan Sethi, and Samuel Gu in their film S0S, which the judge described as ‘incredibly slick’.

Year 11 Beaconhills College student Soumil Aggarwal’s film imagines a Digital Hell (or Heaven), which the judge remarked was ‘really fun’ and ‘very well put together’.

The judge said Year 12 John Monash Science School / Virtual School Victoria student Kai Cheung’s incredible animated film Gravarè was ‘beautifully animated… and technically amazing’.

ISV’s Student Film Festival is open to students at all Victorian schools from Prep to Year 12.