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Film festival to showcase student films

The Hi-Line Documentary and Independent Film Festival begins Friday with short and feature-length films from high school students from the Hi-Line area and independent filmmakers.

Rita Campbell, of Havre Health Foods, is one of the main organizers of the event.

"Our theme this year is 'taking a closer look,'" Campbell said, explaining the Pink Panther clips to be shown at the beginning of Saturday and Sunday. "So, some of the films are extensions or new films by filmmakers that we've shown before, partly because we're trying to look at some issues at a little more depth."

The movies will be shown at the Montana Academy of Dance kicking off at 6 p.m. Friday with food and presentations. The High School Students Short Awards Ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. and "The Last Brickmaker In America" will be shown at 7:30.

There are 19 short films created by high school students that were entered for the film festival and the competition. The films are two to five minutes long on average, Campbell said. The winners of this year's cash prizes have already been determined and will be awarded after the showing of the films.

"Most of them are from Havre and Big Sandy," Campbell said. "Almost every year, we see some participation from some of the outlying high schools."

"The Last Brickmaker In America" is about a veteran brickmaker who takes a young boy under his wing and becomes a mentor to him. Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier stars as the brickmaker.

There are many other short and feature-length films to be shown at the festival. Many short films from students from different high schools will be shown Friday.

The "Permaculture" series is a four-part documentary on topics that include climate change, homesteading, compost-heating and other similar subjects.

"We have a couple of people who moved into filmmaking who are from Havre High," said Lois Gilge, the Atrium Mall Merchants' Association manager. "They went to college and are bringing their films back."

The special guests of the festival are Abi Ita and Laura Lobo, both of whom graduated from Havre High School and went to college to pursue careers in film. Ita went to Montana State University and Lobo went to University of Montana. They will both be bringing some of their cinematic work with them to the event.

Saturday, film showings begin at 10 a.m.

The film festival is organized by Yellow Bus Creations and sponsored by Havre Health Foods and the High Plains Gallery and Frame Shop.

Yellow Bus Creations is an artistic organization that puts together the film festival as well as creating art projects every other year.

 

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