CMS Film Festival Produces First-Year Hit

By Morgan Holliday

CISD Intern

Carroll Middle School recently hosted the first, week-long Film Festival, which promoted student creativity and challenged their imagination. The outcome of the event was astonishing, CMS Theatre Arts teacher Patricia Ponsford said.

“I was absolutely blown away with the quality of these films,” Ponsford said.

Ponsford got the idea to create the film festival after students starting bringing in films and wanted to showcase their own talents. The idea soon grew into a great success as a panel of judges including Mike Chinnici (FUNimation Entertainment video department), Kellen Voss (Okratron 5000 audio engineer) and Amy Adams (CMS teacher) decided on the winner. As the judges chose the winner, they kept in mind the requirements the students needed to incorporate in their films. The requirements included two of eight everyday items such as a flower, apple, pencil or garage. The students were also required to include one of four lines given to them.

The Judges’ winner was “The Grey Robe” by seventh graders Jake Nelson, Benjamin Singel and Stephen Stearns. The event also include an Audience Winner and it went to “Songs In Real Life” by eighth graders Mason McGuire, Marcus Alacron and Cale Anderson. All proceeds of the spring fundraiser goes to the Carroll Middle School Theatre Department and the spring play. The first film festival at CMS proved to be a great success.