Future business leaders run successful film fest
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

JACKSON - Students at Jackson Memorial High School enjoyed the first student film festival on April 20 at the high school. Students were allowed to submit five-minute films in competition.

"The students competed for prizes, including the coveted Audience Choice Award," said Nina Iwaszczenko, adviser to the Future Business Leaders of America. "The Audience Choice Award for the best overall film was presented to sophomore John Jennings, who directed the film 'Jursy Wallace Chick Magnetic' starring none other than Jursy Wallace and Guy Dorian. This particular award was not left up to the opinion of the judging panel, rather, the judgment of the audience as a whole."

Jennings received a trophy and a distribution contract for his film with a distributor of short films, Big Film Shorts.

"Big Film Shorts will represent the film to audiences throughout the world and based upon the film being used, the winner will receive royalties," Iwasz-czenko said. "The Audience Choice Award winner may qualify to be featured on a new Comcast Short Film Channel launching this year."

Sponsored by the JMHS chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America, the festival was filled with comedic, dramatic and documentary-style films.

Awards were given for: Best Director: Rich Gordon and Chris O'Neill; Best Actor: Jursy Wallace; Best Actress: Ana Siciliano; Best Special Effects: David Rittenger Jr.; Best Movie Poster: David Rittenger Jr.; Best Drama: Rich Gordon and Chris O'Neill; Best Documentary: Matt Lambert; and Best Comedy: John Jennings.

With the help of local business sponsors, the film festival raised more than $750 to be donated to the Robert J. Darton Scholarship. Sponsors included Always and Forever; Weinstein, State Farm Agent; Chick-fil-A; County Line Hardware; Emily Ingram, Certified Public Accountant; Farley's Homemade Ice Cream; Hollywood Video; Just Your Style; The Big Party; West Side Dance; and FBLA members.

As a result of the funds donated by local sponsors, the FBLA was able to sell snacks and drinks during intermission and provide the proper equipment for screening the films.

Judges for the event included FBLA officers Christienne Damatac, president; Meghan Setser, treasurer; Stephen Ingram, secretary; Kathrina Ramroop, parliamentarian; Sean Villanova, executive officer; Alleyna Alleyne, senior representative; Ghani Zahid, historian; and Matthew Kirby, underclassman representative.

"FBLA members and officers, along with parents, arranged the advertising for the festival, the selling of tickets, decorating the auditorium and basically the entire event with special thanks to Stephen Ingram, who made the film festival successful with his projector, audio equipment and coordination of the technical presentation along with FBLA member Jay Shah," Iwaszczenko said.

The film festival was created as a way for FBLA members to capture a glimpse into the world of business by planning, advertising and carrying out a major event.

"It is an event that FBLA members throughout the United States compete [in] and then can enter into competition at the national level," said Iwaszczenko.

With the proceeds of the event, the club was able to contribute to the new Robert J. Darton Scholarship in memory of Darton, a former JMHS teacher who passed away in October.