finalist films & videos of Judges’ Choice films | photos from the festival
“The Bridge Film Festival on April 22 was an impressive event. It was amazing to see so many outstanding films by kids showing Quaker values in action.” Franne Rosenthal, a member of the 15th Street Quaker Meeting, artist, and teacher, was summing up her experience as a judge at this year’s festival. “Brooklyn Friends in general—and [festival director] Andy Cohen in particular—were phenomenal hosts. The festival was a positive experience for the students and their families, and it wouldn’t surprise me if many go on to film related careers.”
Franne’s enthusiasm for the all-day student film festival was echoed by Tim Beers, a teacher at Pickering College in Ontario, Canada. “What a wonderful experience for students to be able to express their views creatively,” he said. “The workshops were very well done, and the evening screening was great. I’m already looking forward to next year.”
This year’s all-day festival was the most international yet, with 3 of the 11 finalist short films from Quaker schools abroad in Canada, Lebanon, and the West Bank, Palestine. The films were critiqued by a panel of judges and rated in terms of Cinematography, Creativity, Message (i.e.,Quaker ideals of equality, non-violence, simplicity and community), Narrative, and Originality. The Judges’ Choice Award for Upper School short film was the documentary “A Promise Is A Promise” by Jaime Gianopoulos, which told the story of how a Canadian air force captain made a positive difference in the lives of two boys from Kosovo. The Middle School Short Film Award was presented to Aaron Tyson for his film “A Breath of Soiled Air,” a dramatic narrative about a boy’s sincere and determined efforts to save the environment.
Brooklyn Friends School students were represented in the Festival by several entrants: Upper School students Matthew and Scott Gentile for their film “Reminiscence,” Middle School student Joshua Krieble for his animated short film “Treasure Hunt,” David Wheatley for the public service announcement “Don’t Gamble,” and Colin Cowley, David Bess, Rosa Jaffee and Mohammed Tushar for their collaboration with the Friends School of Ramallah for the co-production of “Two Students, Two Schools.”
Four of the student-filmmakers from Ramallah traveled to New York for the Festival and were able to spend a week at Brooklyn Friends School with their host teachers, Andy Cohen and Kerri Richardson, and their host students, Jenine Abbassi and Richie Kahn. “Our students experienced an opportunity of life time thanks to you efforts,” wrote Friends School Director Joyce Ajlouny to Andy Cohen. “I hope one day to be able to reciprocate your wonderful hospitality.”
See the “instant animation” video created in Douglas Duga’s workshop.
BRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 Finalist Films
* Judges’ Choice Award
MIDDLE SCHOOL SHORT FILMS
* A Breath of Soiled Air, Friends School in Detroit, Detroit, MI
Filmmakers: Aaron Tyson, Antonette Iverson, Miles Bond
Advisor: Joseph Eggly
See an excerpt from A Breath of Soiled Air.
A Journey Out of the Woods, Tandem Friends School, Charlottesville, VA
Filmmakers: Quinn Saunders-Kolberg, Brandon Zweig
Advisor: Lydia Horan
Treasure Hunt, Brooklyn Friends School, Brooklyn, NY
Filmmaker: Joshua Krieble
Advisor: Raul Cuza
MIDDLE SCHOOL PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consequences of a Match, Virginia Beach Friends School, Virginia Beach, VA
Filmmakers: Alex Perry, Alex Alden, Kyle Phalen
Advisor: T. Jeff Winiker
* Uncalled for Behavior, Tandem Friends School, Charlottesville, VA
Filmmakers: Alex Goodhouse, Will Grimshaw
Advisor: Lydia Horan, George Andrews
See an excerpt from Uncalled for Behavior.
UPPER SCHOOL SHORT FILMS
Under My Skin, Brummana High School, Brummana, Lebanon
Filmmakers: Ali Fahs, Nathalie Bechbache
Advisor: George Najjar
Thanksgiving, Delaware Valley Friends School, Paoli, PA
Filmmaker: Hannah Kennedy
Advisor: Jim Talone
Hooked on a Feeling, William Penn Charter School, Philadelphia, PA
Filmmakers: Peter Damm, Evic Binswangor, Ashley Flores, Stephanie Clarke
Advisor: Peter Damm
Reminiscence, Brooklyn Friends School, Brooklyn, NY
Filmmakers: Scott Gentile, Matthew Gentile, Jamal Davis
Advisor: Andy Cohen
The Cardboard Tube Samurai, Friends Academy, Locust Valley, NY
Filmmaker: Brandon Dottier
Advisor: Mark Alber
Two Students, Two Schools, Friends School Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine
and Brooklyn Friends School, Brooklyn, NY
Filmmakers: Yazan Nahas, Amre Saadeh, Fadi Quran,Yasmine Khoury, Yousef Alem (Friends School Ramallah) Colin Cowley, David Bess, Rosa Jaffe, Mohammed Tushar (Brooklyn Friends School)
Advisors: John Hishmeh, Andy Cohen
* A Promise is a Promise, Pickering College, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Filmmaker: Jaime Gianopoulos
Advisor: Timothy Beers
See an excerpt from A Promise is a Promise.
UPPER SCHOOL PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
* Combined Perspectives, Tandem Friends School, Charlottesville, VA
Filmmaker: Sofee Herskowitz
Advisors: Lydia Horan, George Andrews
See an excerpt from Combined Perspectives.
Niger, Delaware Valley Friends School, Paoli, PA
Filmmaker: Lavinia Lewis
Advisor: Jim Talone
Don’t Gamble, Brooklyn Friends School, Brooklyn, NY
Filmmaker: David Wheatley
Advisor: Andy Cohen
Photo, above: Actress Carmen Ejogo was this year’s Featured Filmmaker.
Below, clockwise from top left: The BFS jazz band, who performed during the dinner, was a welcome addition to this year’s festival; Jaime Gianopoulos from Pickering College in Ontario, Canada, was the Judge’s Choice Award winner for her film, “A Promise is a Promise”; a student taking to the streets of Brooklyn as part of the “Digital Media Challenge”; Matthew (left) and Scott Gentile of BFS accepting their film finalist trophy from Carmen Ejogo and Andy Cohen; Josh Krieble, who represented the BFS Middle School at the Festival, accepting his finalist trophy from Andy Cohen; Aaron Tyson from Friends School in Detroit received the Middle School Judge’s Choice Award; Artist/animator Don Duga ran two workshops on film animation at the festival; Andy Cohen, Colin Cowley, and Kerri Richardson from BFS with four student filmmakers from Friends School in Ramallah.