Members of the Westport Youth Film Festival (WYFF) 2011-2012 board of directors are, from left, Sarah Gruen (Weston), Michael Kalmans (Weston), Sarah Fayngolz (Weston), Nina Low (Weston), Ruby Amigon (Bridgeport), Lais Lima (Bridgeport), Jason Bernstein (Stamford), Shanet Hinds (Bridgeport), Caroline Perry (Westport), Ross Wollman (Weston), Karianna Montalvo (Bridgeport), Halle Martinenas (Fairfield), Amelia Arnold (Westport), Esme Douglas (Branford), Natasha Flath (New Haven) and Nick Wingate (Westport).
The Westport Youth Film Festival (WYFF) is kicking off its ninth year with a new Board of Directors and improved plan for funding and producing their international, teen-driven event. However the festival isn’t the only event that the group is running; already, the student volunteers of WYFF are planning for a full year of exciting events, all culminating in a day of movies and fun that celebrates the power of film.
WYFF was created nine years ago by three Weston students—David Burstein, Chris Casey, and Emma Wiseman, who realized that there were no opportunities to showcase the talents of student filmmakers. Since its conception, WYFF has become a center for student film related support and a place where young filmmakers can be celebrated. This festival is held every spring in Fairfield County and is a two-day festival. Over the past eight years, WYFF has received over 2,000 film submissions from throughout the United States, and from around the world, including Africa, Indonesia, Scandinavia, and Israel, making the festival an international gem to our community. Last year, a record-breaking 250 films were submitted to the festival, which were narrowed down to the 50 films showcased at the events. These finalists are then categorized into six different groups: animation, comedy, drama, documentary, experimental, and music video. Then, at the festival, awards are given to the best of every category and the “Audience Choice” for best film.
Recently, WYFF announced its Student Board of Directors, led by Festival Director Evan Neidich. These student volunteers run every aspect of the festival, from the graphics and publicity to the festival itself. The Board of Directors for 2012 is:
Director of Outreach with a focus in cultivating New Haven County, National and International relationships and submissions:
Esme Douglas, New Haven, CT
Director of Outreach with a focus in cultivating Fairfield County:
Amelia Arnold, Westport, CT
Press Director:
Sarah Gruen, Weston, CT
Director of Social Media with a focus on YouTube and the WYFF Website:
Kate Downey, Fairfield, CT
Director of Social Media with a focus in Twitter and Facebook updates and outreach to VIPs through Social Media:
Sara Fayngolz, Weston, CT
Events and Development Director:
Michael Kalmans, Weston, CT
Co-Deputy Directors of Events :
Shanet Hinds, Bridgeport, CT
Ryan Beckwith, Fairfield, CT
The team’s latest endeavor has been fundraising in order to make festival passes and film submissions affordable. Through the use of social media, including Facebook and Twitter, as well as the WYFF website, students now have the opportunity to reach out to areas stretching far beyond Fairfield County. One particularly useful website has been kickstarter.com, the “world’s largest fundraising platform for creative projects.” Website-goers view a fundraising video on a specific organization’s homepage, and can then fund the event by donating varied amounts of cash. In order to attract viewers, WYFF board members and volunteers recently created a “Kickstarter Video” detailing what WYFF is, how it makes positive change on a community, and what one can receive from donating. This video, along with other WYFF events, is proof of the hard work that students put into funding such a complex festival. Unlike many of the other organizations on Kickstarter, WYFF is run entirely by students. "What makes Westport Youth Film Festival unique is that we not only showcase the art and voice of youth from all over the country and the world, but that local High School students are involved in every aspect of festival production,” says Evan Neidich, Festival director.
“This is a real world, professional experience of college or post-graduate caliber. WYFF provides an opportunity for teenagers to showcase the amazing capacity of passionate, committed young people,” Junior Michael Kalmans, the events and development director, says. “What makes WYFF unique is that it provides an opportunity to showcase high school filmmakers’ talents in a professional setting. Film isn’t the only aim here—we learn real life skills, including how to run a business, how to raise money, and how to advertise our product.” Sophomore Ross Wollman, the graphic design director, agrees. “It is rare to find an opportunity where students are the heads of a very professional organization—we really do run the festival and everything about it.”
Students, especially ones from Fairfield County, are lucky to have the opportunity to get involved with such a unique festival as WYFF. “There is an incredible plurality of experiences and voices in Connecticut. Unfortunately, we can sometimes forget about this diversity because town lines often divide us into more homogeneous groups,” says Evan. “Programs like WYFF that have students from Weston, Westport, Bridgeport, New Haven, Fairfield and Norwalk work to break down barriers.”
The WYFF Kickstarter campaign lasts until January 30, 2012. The organization hopes to raise $5,000 during this time. For more information, visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/1898649912/westport-youth-film-festival, or go to Kickstarter.com and search for “WYFF.”
WYFF is a program of the Westport Arts Center. For more information, search “Westport Youth Film Festival” on Facebook or contact Evan Neidich, by phone at (203) 222-7070 or by email at evan@westportartscenter.org.
