Women filmmakers fight hard to receive just a fraction of the prestige often awarded to their male counterparts. And now, there's a new crop of ambitious young women coming to help break that particular glass ceiling. These 12 films are the finalists for the All American High School Film Festival's Female Rising Star Award.
These girls all completed their films while still in high school. Watch them take on true stories and narratives from their own imaginations and experimental films that could easily stand up against any recent indie. The festival will be held in New York City from October 9-11
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The Emotional Dimensions of The James River — Michelle Marquez
Nature escapism at its finest.
Nature escapism at its finest.
For The Trees — Rachel Glassman
Meditation on life after high school, with an obvious eye for composition. This film will make anyone who has long-surpassed their graduation years, glad that this particular period of indecision is behind them.
Meditation on life after high school, with an obvious eye for composition. This film will make anyone who has long-surpassed their graduation years, glad that this particular period of indecision is behind them.
Lily's Journey — Julia Elihu
An artist describes her harrowing struggle to leave Iran after the revolution. A beautiful mix of old footage and new shots of Lily working on the art she knows she would have had a hard time creating in her home country.
An artist describes her harrowing struggle to leave Iran after the revolution. A beautiful mix of old footage and new shots of Lily working on the art she knows she would have had a hard time creating in her home country.
KERS — Alexia Salingaros
This profile captures a portrait of a young female graffiti artist. She also talks about being both a figure of interest and a figure of distrust as a woman in a genre of art dominated by men.
This profile captures a portrait of a young female graffiti artist. She also talks about being both a figure of interest and a figure of distrust as a woman in a genre of art dominated by men.
Masha'Allah — Molly Simmons
A young girl must balance her sexuality with her religion and is terrified of her mother and father's expectations. The poem near the end is particularly powerful.
Celine and Simon — Julia Elihu
A sweet little film that touches on language barrier frustration and the struggle of being happy that your kid is adapting to a world you're still struggling to understand.
A sweet little film that touches on language barrier frustration and the struggle of being happy that your kid is adapting to a world you're still struggling to understand.
Overflow — Ruby Drake
What seems at first like a pretty standard examination of high school crushes has a satisfying twist. The underwater shots are done well and add to the overall feel of the piece.
Lady of Paint Creek — Alexia Salingaros
A visually stunning piece, this short film focuses on light and shadow, with some great shots illuminated by candlelight. There are no words, but a powerful story is told through music and the the power of facial expressions.
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Luminosity — Alexia Salingaros
This Claymation film took an exhausting amount of effort. Going far beyond any of the clay creations you might remember from your childhood, this one also makes use of impressive effects.
Stranded — Clio Gevirtz
An impromptu dance performance in a breezy wheat field is just as beautiful and haunting as you think it would be. A little romance and a little rejection enriches the story.
Tick Tock — Tiffany Shin
This animated short proves animation doesn't have to shy away from heavy subjects. This film will continuously keep you guessing, never letting the audience take anything for granted.
2x2 — Ruby Drake
Covering several storylines in a multi-paneled shot, including classic film clips, the filmmaker manages to weave together the story of an apartment full of conflict and passion.