It is no simple matter to describe the spirit of a UAF Film Club Film Festival. Like blind men describing the traits of an elephant to one another, the festival can mean different things to different people.
To a dozen student directors, the Film Fest is the grand culmination of countless hours of planning, shooting and editing. It is the birth of a new, sometimes unwanted, baby.
For the directors' friends, it marks the end of an exhausting conscription. During the production cycle, these associates were counted on to hold cameras, wear embarrassing costumes, perform like monkeys and fetch coffee, expecting neither pay for their efforts nor leniency for slackening in their responsibilities. For them, the festival is a chance to finally witness the vision they helped produce, and to reap their welldeserved 15 minutes of fame.
In the hour leading up to the introduction, which often goes awry in a charming homespun way, hundreds of individuals slowly assemble into a collective entity known as "the audience." One could not presume to know the myriad possible reasons these people come together. Long ago, in the mystical year 2000, the architects of the Film Club deigned to hold these semiannual affairs shortly before finals week, in hopes of securing a refuge for funlovers in the battle against their scholastic nemeses, whatever they be. Armed with sophisticated "humometers," scientists have found a positive correlation between Film Fest attendance and feelings of wellbeing. Perhaps they come because it is cheaper than aspirin and not as exhausting as running a marathon.
There are a handful of locals, however, to whom the Film Fest has a much deeper significance. These champions of the studentmade movie movement follow their calling as if inspired by some greater purpose.
Alex Grantham had his opinion on the matter. "Running the show," he said, "is a heavy burden. I would absolutely trade it for anything in the world." As much as they claim to dislike their work, they spend much of their time immersed in memories of festivals long passed.
The festival is the culmination of months of lengthy preparations, weeks of deliberate procrastination, and a couple days of actual work. In the tempest of activity leading up to show time, the Film Club cronies scarcely think about the club's founding tenet, "promoting creativity and imagination through student video production." However, once the lights dim, except for judging and troubleshooting, there is no more work to be done. From this point onward the diverse spectators, under their various pretenses, all sit down and enjoy an evening of home grown fun.
The UAF Film Club Spring Film Festival will be held Friday, April 21 at 8 p.m. in the Salisbury Theatre. More information can be obtained at www.akfilm.org or by emailing fbfilm@uaf.edu.
