HHS students showcase short films

Havre High School student filmmakers will showcase several short films Thursday night and the public is invited to watch and judge.

The first annual Hi-Line Documentary and Shorts Film Screening, scheduled to feature about 12 films, will begin at 7 p.m. in room 28 at Havre High.

Teacher Vicki Proctor said the screening came about as a “meeting of the minds.”

The screening used to be put on by local group Yellow Bus Creations during events such as the New Ideas Expo. But they were disheartened students couldn’t make it, so the idea to host the screening on a school night was concocted, Proctor said.

The notion, she said, was initially suggested by a student.

The theme for the movies is social concerns, Proctor said. She said topics for the movies include identity fraud, recycling and litter, bullying, texting and driving, potholes, animal abuse, mental illness, texting and walking, soda, speeding, public display of affection and eating disorders.

The movies will be split into two categories, the longer films and the shorter ones. The longer ones, including one 15-minute film, are longer than five minutes. The short ones, are less than five minutes.

Once the audience has watched the movies, they will then vote on the best ones. Prizes will be awarded to winners of each category, Proctor said.

The film class has been a springboard for many students who now work in television, Proctor said. KRTV’s Shannon Newth is one, as is another working for CBS in Colorado Springs and another former student who worked on the movie “The Girl on the Train,” she said.

“It starts at this level,” she said.

Proctor said she wanted to thank Kevin and Rita Campbell and David and Kris Shaw, who started the film festival through their Yellow Bus Creations.