Latest news with #2025StudentSilentFilmFestival
Chicago Tribune
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Around the Southland: Oak Forest student film wins, health fair in Orland Park, more
Oak Forest HS students win silent film award Students from 11 Chicago-area high schools saw their original silent films brought to life on the big screen during the 2025 Student Silent Film Festival held earlier this year at Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove. The three high school films named as winners were 'Unpredicted' from Oak Forest High School, 'Between the Panels' from Lake Forest High School and 'Friend Zone' from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville. 'Unpredicted,' directed by Ava Scott with director of photography Brody Lynch, featured Caiden Forbes, Kayla Thurmond, DeAnnah Bridges and Christian Padgett. Michael Lynch was the instructor. Other high schools participating include Dwight D. Eisenhower in Blue Island, Alan B. Shepard in Palos Heights, Bremen in Midlothian, Homewood-Flossmoor in Flossmoor, Lyons Township in LaGrange, Huntley, Mundelein and Barrington. Movies told their stories without the use of voices or sound effects. All were shown to the audience of more than 400 with live music accompaniment via the SilentFilmtronic 2000 keyboard by Derek Berg, CEO of the Clarendon Hills Music Academy, who founded the event with Ed Newmann of Hinsdale and Bill Allen, supervisor of Television Services at Lyons Township High School. Each participant received a high definition digital file of his or her movie with the accompaniment soundtrack. Films were reviewed by a panel of entertainment and art education industry professionals, who chose three winners based on camera work, lighting, editing, development and the quality of the story narrative. Families invited to annual health fair The annual Family Health Fair takes place from 9 a.m. to noon March 22 at the Village of Orland Park Sportsplex, 11351 W. 159th St. The free event, open to people of all ages, is sponsored by the village's recreation department. The fair will offer free screenings that include food allergies, injuries, blood pressure and obesity, as well as information on health issues that include nutrition counseling, running shoes, CPR and police and fire safety. Children who attend can try an obstacle course, soccer dribble, mini bounce house, face painting, a mini hoop shot, snacks and other activities. The Sportsplex T-Rex is expected to appear. Information is at 708-403-5000. Southland Prep students win top honors at state speech Five students at Southland College Prep Charter High School in Richton Park competed at the Illinois High School Association's State Speech Series last month in Peoria – and three of them were named state champions in their categories. Twin brothers Jeremiah and Jacob Smith, seniors, earned a first place in Humorous Duet Acting with their selection 'A Teenager's Guide to Surviving a Horror Movie: Run! Run! Run!' Junior Courtney Clemons earned a first place in Oratorical Declamation for her performance of 'The Power of Vulnerability.' Seniors Daija Alford and Ashiah Lee also took home awards, earning fifth place in Dramatic Duet Acting for their piece 'The Mountaintop' by Katori Hall. Southland CEO Blondean Davis recognized the coaching staff: co-head coach Cheryl Frazier, who founded the speech and forensics program at Southland, and co-head coach Cara Aljoe, as well as assistant coaches Malik Bibbie, John Anderson, Christopher Arnold, Deiarah Wright and Terrence Mayfield. Speech team members have won eight state championships as well as national titles under Frazier's leadership. Those Who Excel Awards earned by D230 employees School District 230 was recognized with three Those Who Excel Awards, which will be given out at the annual Illinois State Board of Education awards ceremony, all from Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park. They will go to a classroom teacher, support person and early career educator. An award for Meritorious Service was earned by teacher Claudia Parra-Carrillo. As a bilingual Spanish teacher in the English Learner Department, she uses her creativity to teach English to students from several countries. She also screens students, creates schedules, advocates for community support and helps families transition into the school community. Parra-Carrillo sourced translated directions in eight languages for the ACT, met with general education teachers on how to support EL students, created intervention plans for struggling students and proposed a schoolwide professional development on strategies to work with EL newcomer students. Building Manager Thomas Bell earned an award of Special Recognition and was recognized for his high level of communication, relaying status of projects and identifying future work to be done. He is credited with inspiring custodial and maintenance staff in their roles and how they partner with the rest of the staff and students. His employees 'are happier, more productive, and feel more like a part of the Victor J. Andrew High School family,' a news release noted. Early career educator Nowal Shalash, in her second year of teaching in the Special Education Department, served as a Math 2 co-taught and Math 2 instructional teacher but now serves the ULTIMA program for students with the most cognitive challenges. In that program, she created strong relationships with students and acted as a resource for parents. She is Arab Student Union sponsor and has been the head coach for Special Olympics for two years, building 'so many inclusive opportunities that VJA was recognized as a National Unified Champion Banner School for Special Olympics,' per the news release. It's just one of 12 schools to achieve that honor. Doll & Me Tea Party planned in Palos Heights The Palos Heights Parks and Recreation Center hosts Doll & Me Spring Tea Party from 10:30 a.m. to noon March 26 at the rec center, 6601 W. 127th St. Adults are invited to bring a child and his or her favorite doll to enjoy tea-time treats with a cup of apple juice, lemonade or hot chocolate. Attendees and their dolls will take home a special keepsake, and Princess Belle and Cinderella will appear. All ages of children are welcome. Tables cost $80 for residents and $104 for nonresidents and hold up to four guests. Sign up online or in person at the rec center. Art for the Season benefits Stagg's music programs Stagg High School Music Boosters hold Art for the Season, a spring arts and crafts festival, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 22 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 23 at the school, 111th St., Palos Hills. Booths for vendors, arts and crafts will be featured, as well as raffles and some entertainment by music students. A concession stand will be available. Admission is $3, which goes toward music programs at Stagg.
Chicago Tribune
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Lake Forest HS students win outstanding achievement award at Student Silent Film Festival
To some, silent films may seem like a relic of the past. Yet the genre of filmmaking is very much in the present and future for some local students recently awarded for their work. Last month a group of Lake Forest High School students received the 'Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award' at the 2025 Student Silent Film Festival honored for an approximate six-minute film titled 'Between the Panels.' The film is a collaborative effort of LFHS students led by producer/student Grace Donovan. Now a LFHS senior, her interest in making movies was an outgrowth of productions she put together during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Based on a true story of a father of a current LFHS student, the film showcases a young student overcoming obstacles looking to succeed in the comic book business. The film's message of perseverance meshes with the festival's theme of 'Creativity Unleashed.' LFHS was one of three winners from a pool of 11 entries from media programs at Chicago area high schools. 'It makes me really proud,' noted Donovan, who plans to go to film school. 'This is the first award I have won in new media. It is a milestone for me in my filmmaking.' Donovan is a student of LFHS new media teacher Steve Douglass, who wants his students to experience the challenges silent filmmaking presents. 'For them to balance and also be ready to perform at a high level, that is what we are trying to prepare the kids for,' he said. 'It really is cool to be able to be successful in that, but it is really about the process.' Douglass said his students may pursue careers in social media marketing, film or television, there are crucial lessons to be learned from silent films. 'Showing – rather than telling – is super important,' he explained. 'For them to get to understand exactly what that means in different concepts and a different form of storytelling is really helpful.' Donovan, working with director Gonzalo Zarazaga, oversaw a crew of 15 LFHS students creating the film. Over the course of four weeks beginning last November, the crew shot in six different locations including LFHS, Lake Bluff Middle School and Libertyville's Dreamland Comics. 'The more we worked together, the stronger communicative skills we had,' Donovan said. Augmenting the overall student crew were roughly 20 students from District 67's Deer Path Middle School and Lake Bluff Middle School. LBMS students have played extras in previous LFHS student productions, allowing the sixth through eighth graders a chance to observe and participate. 'My kids really get a chance to see what it is like to be on a film set and the different jobs and you don't just have to be in front of the camera,' noted LBMS theatre teacher Ryan Ingrim. 'You can do all of these other things.' After the movie was shot and edited, the final product was sent to the film festival directors for submission. The entries were shown Jan. 22 at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove with festival organizers providing a custom musical score for each film. 'It is one of those things where you don't know what is going to happen until you actually show up,' Douglass said of the music. The judges – who work in the entertainment industry – selected the winners based on the story's narrative, development, lighting, editing, and camera work, according to a festival statement. Douglass mentioned previous LFHS students last won the award in 2017 and 2018. Thus he was thrilled with the honor this year acknowledging the students have many academic responsibilities besides his class. 'It really is cool to be able to be successful in that,' Douglass said. 'It was a great demonstration and validation for them to be able to go through the process well and when you do that, and then awards will come.'
