Filmmaking is an unusual direction for young people, but the Friday Harbor Film Festival has, since its eary beginnings, worked to encourage students. The Young Filmmakers Showcase, which featurs two categories, 13-17-year-olds and 18-26-year-olds, is one such way, offering free tickets to youth is another.
“The festival recognizes young talent in filmmaking by providing a platform for their films to be seen. Many of the film submissions are from first-time filmmakers,” Susan Waters, Educational Outreach and Volunteer Director, said. Attendees of the festival and those who watch online, have the opportunity to choose the recipient of the Audience Choice Award in each age group.
“This year, we have 11 submissions on a variety of topics and from around the world, including the Republic of Georgia, Brazil and Nepal,” said Waters. The public may attend The Young Filmmakers Showcase free, Oct. 25 froat 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre.
In the 13-17-year-old category is Bepuwaven, an eight-minute film by Ilysa Spencer, Kuinerraq, a three-minute film by Magnus Shipe, and Saturday Morning Live, a 15-minute film by Elene Mochadze.
There are eight films in the 18-26 year old category. A Poem a Day Keeps Sanity Away by Max Galbreath, Belov: a Life at Sea by Tiago Abusbahir, Buffalow Solders: George Jordan and the Indian Wars by Josh Cordenas, Facing Forward, by Abigal Disckinson, Kija Puja, by Sanish Manarjan, Oen Day at a Time by Cole Von Den Helder, Rat Brain by Evan Vayless and Nach House by Magdalena Dvorakova, Fargol Yeganeth Fathi and Audrey Colgin-Hubbard
The Nach House is about an Iranian immigrant trying to find herself. The film highlights the journey of self-exploration, according to Colgin-Hubbard. “This project has been a work of love for three friends. Fargol and Soyaz shared their personal stories with great courage,” Colgin-Hubbard said. “We hope everyone can relate to them in some way. We hope that our documentary can spark conversation and that viewers will find many metaphorical meanings.”
She and her filmmates are currently pursuing careers in the filming world. Both Colgin-Hubbard and Dvorakova work as producers’ assistants. Dvorakova works in LA, California, while Colgin-Hubbard is based in Seattle. “Basically it means you do whatever is asked of you, from picking up coffee to wrapping cords,” Colgin-Hubbard said.
Colgin-Hubbard is no stranger to the film festival. She submitted a film last year as well.
“When I went last year for my film Kabwe Ka Makuba with my co-director Joshua Kalenga, I learned how supportive film festivals and communities can be. Susan Waters was so welcoming and kind and even allowed us to show our film at one of the short programs when the in-person portion of the Young Filmmaker Festival was canceled,” Colgin-Hubbard said. “We were so excited to meet and learn from the other filmmakers and join in on all the events. We also got to watch so many incredible films where we could learn from professional filmmaker’s craft.”
When asked what got them into filmmaking, Dvorakova responded “What I love about filmmaking is how everything comes together, although it doesn’t always seem like in the process. The feeling of watching something that you were able to create with a team of artists is incredible.”
Colgin-Hubberd agreed, adding “Being part of a team of people who are passionate about your project is one of the best feelings in the world. I also love how films are a puzzle. When you are in pre-production, you are trying to make all the pieces fit as much as you can so that production will work.”
Like any art form, there are documentaries that have inspired them and that they love. For Dvokova that film is Daughters, co-directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, with cinematography by Michael Cambio Fernandez, and music by Kelsey Lu, now available globally on Netflix. It follows four young girls as they prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C. jail. For most of the daughters, the dance will be the only time they will be able to touch or hug their fathers during their sentences, some of which are as long as 20 years.
Colgin-Hubbard said Hoop Dreams is one of her favorites. Directed by Steve James, Hoop Dreams is a 1994 film that follows the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys, William Gates and Arthur Agee, who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional. Every school day the teens travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. With the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way.
It’s stories like these, that made retired school councilor and Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor member Susie Wakefield become determined to do what she could to encourage kids to attend the festival.
“Some of these kids will be leaders,” Wakefield said, “Being well informed is vital, and these stories teach a lot about the world.”
The first film festival she and her husband attended, she noticed immediately was lacking in youth attendance. Having been a counselor, she realized quickly that the issue was likely a financial one. After discussing it with the FHFF board, she has donated $5,000 each year to the festival so that students could attend for free. Last year the program was expanded to include teachers as well. Both students and teachers may pick up their tickets at the Film Festival office.
To help promote access, Waters works with local schools and secondary school teachers are encouraged to draw from the topics and impact of documentary films within the classroom curricula where appropriate, according to Waters. Local teachers and staff may also attend the festival weekend for free.
There are also plans to implement student filmmaking workshops in collaboration with professional documentary filmmakers in 2025 bringing youth into the festival even further.
“It’s very reassuring to me to see the youth there,” Wakefield said, adding that it has taken many people to come together, reaching out the schools and other organizations to get the word out to the community’s students. “By working together we getn get far more done, and have more fun!”
