It was, perhaps, senior Marcus Emery’s favorite moment during a film festival earlier this month when producer, playwright and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin told him to “go to hell.”

Sorkin said this when Emery admitted that his animation, which won the award for best sound design at the Westflix Film festival, was the product of a completely self-taught passion.

The festival showcases the best films made by students in California.  The two-day event was held March 18-19 in Hollywood and featured 15 films from 13 different programs.  There were around 300 submissions, and Emery was one of the 15 selected films in the invited finalists.

Sorkin was the guest speaker and spoke at the beginning of the screenings.  The next day, he hosted a question and answer session, which was when Emery got the chance to talk to him.

“He told me that my work ‘needed to be seen by the right people,’ and he even gave me his assistant’s email,” Emery said. “I don’t exactly know what that means, but it sounds promising.”

Most of the films, according to Emery, were made by students who attend high schools in Southern California that are well known for their art and film programs. 

“[The films] were honestly some of the best I’ve ever seen from high school students,” Emery said. “It was incredible what some of these kids were able to do, and it was an honor to be placed among them.”

Emery’s film, however, “Dooble: The Small Winged Quail,” which originally started out as a test product and later evolved into a short about a small bird who courageously figures out a way to fly even with his small wings, was done entirely independent of school with no help from outside programs or teachers.

“I think it’s pretty unusual that [the films] are done independent of school,” Emery said.

Sorkin thought so, too, saying he was “extremely impressed” with Emery’s work.

The experience of not only meeting, but having a famous screenwriter and producer gush over his work was amazing for Emery.

“Sorkin was a really nice guy to talk with, and I was blown away with his reaction [to my film],” Emery said. “I’m very thankful to have gotten this opportunity.”

And yet, still more good news was to come as on March 25, when Emery discovered that he had been accepted to University of Southern California’s school of cinematic arts, which he applied to under animation and digital arts.  The program accepts a total of only 15 people globally per year.

“I’m honestly still in shock,” Emery said. “[This is] a miracle.”