Chateauguay Valley Regional High School’s 15th annual film festival took place on May 13 and brought together students of all grades to view the talent of their peers, or to admire their own aptitude for cinema. A full lunch hour was dedicated to the hardworking students who put in their time and effort to make unique films.
The generous volunteer judges of this year’s competition were CVR’s own teacher and English department head, Ms. Sauve, as well as Dwight Petrovic, a former student and winner at a previous Film Fest who currently works in the film industry making movies. It was a great honour for the students to have their work viewed by such devoted professionals.
As per usual, the fantastic Mr. Langlois organized the Film Festival to give the students and staff something to enjoy at the end of the year before finals start in June. Mr. Langlois is passionate about film and gives all CVR’s students a space to discover their own love of film making – and very possibly provides the first place that they can display their work to people who are ready to appreciate the craft. A very big thank you is in order for Mr. Langlois and for the tech crew at CVR for making all this possible.
Prizes were given out to students for Best Long Film, Best Short Film, Best Camera Work, Best Acting, and an Audience Choice Award where students got the opportunity to express their admiration for whichever film they thought was the best across all categories. It made for an incredibly fun and memorable experience to watch the music videos, comedies, thrillers and dramas of participants and to marvel at the level of creativity of the students involved.
Participants were encouraged to try various styles of film, including silent films, black and white, or even a video game style with a pixelated effect. Students also applied numerous cinematic and theatrical techniques to enhance the quality of their films and engage the audience. Many genres were displayed and masterfully represented in the creations of the students.
This year’s Film Fest has once again been a success, thanks to all the dedicated filmmakers, staff support, and audience members who served as great cheerleaders throughout the event.
*This article was written by CVR students as part of an agreement between the New Frontiers School Board and The Gleaner, with funding from the federal government.