PRESS . . . |
| . FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| March 04, 2003 |
| Most San Diego students ever enter BestFest 2003 |
|
SAN DIEGO—What is now being considered the nation's largest student film festival, the BestFest 2003 San Diego Student
Film Festival closed its entries at 5pm, March 3, 2003 at the San Diego Film Commission Office. Co-chairmen Mark
Title and David Larson greeted the final high school and college students as well as their teachers who were
submitting their entries up to the final minutes.
When tallied up, 577 students (up from 255 in 2002) from 32 area
schools (up from 21 in 2002) submitted 271 entries (up from 136 in 2002) in seven categories: comedy, drama,
non-fiction, experimental, music video (high school only), PSA (60-second “Slow down on the streets where we live”
theme – sponsored by Councilmember Donna Frye's office) and screenplay (15 pages maximum). An additional category,
“48 Hours of Madness” will be completed this weekend as over 30 teams from area high schools and colleges will
scramble to produce five-minute films all using the same screenplay – and all within 48 hours.
“The response this year is overwhelming with more than double the students and entries over BestFest 2002,” remarked
David Larson. “And, with more sponsors on board, we've been able to increase the total prize money from $10,000 last
year to $15,000 this year. BestFest gives students three important opportunities: 1) a local venue to show off their
creations; 2) feedback from judges' comment sheets as a learning tool; and, 3) every entry which becomes an “Official
Selection” to BestFest will receive both a cash prize and trophy. When they make it this far, it's not fair to see
only one winner in a category of five finalists – so we honor everyone.”
Two rounds of judging during the month of March will narrow submissions to the final 75 entries that will be screened
at BestFest 2003 which takes place on Saturday & Sunday, April 26 & 27, 2003 at the San Diego Natural History Museum.
Official Selection filmmakers will have use of a “filmmakers' lounge” and attendees will take part in filmmaking
seminars held the afternoon of each festival day.
SPONSORS: The Visual Arts Foundation (an 18-year-old non-profit corporation which runs BestFest), the San Diego
County Board of Supervisors, Councilmember Frye's Office, Joanne Clark, the San Diego Natural History Museum, the San
Diego Film Commission, Masar-Johnston Design, Staylor-Made Communications, Network Printing, the Cinema Society of
San Diego, Random Cove LLC, and the Southern California Writers' Conference are all sponsors of the BestFest 2003 San
Diego Student Film Festival.
For more information about the BestFest San Diego Student Film Festival, contact Dave Larson.
>> Contact Dave Larson, President of Visual Arts Foundation |
