Saratoga goes Hollywood: Youth commission hosts Film Fest

On May 7 in the Saratoga Library, the Saratoga Youth Commission hotsted its second annual Film Fest, an event where Bay Area students were able show off their self-produced movies.

“Our main objective was to give a place for people who enjoy making films to show them and get rewarded for their work,” said organizer Ramiz Sheikh, a junior. “We also had a Flim Fest last year, which was a great success, and wanted to make it better this year.”

The Film Fest featured a variety of genres, including a documentary, a music video and multiple comedic films. About 15 films entered the competition, and 12 of them were showcased at the event.

Those short films were judged by members of the Youth Commission. The winner was a film by Tas Pelican, Sang Han and Jack Jacoby from Westmont High School titled “The Darkening,” a parody on the classic horror movie “The Shining.” The winners were given a $100 gift certificate to Best Buy and a certificate signed by the Mayor of Saratoga.

The objective of the Film Fest was to give aspiring film-makers or students in video classes a place to display their creations and learn from others. Film making is a skill that often goes unnoticed, and based on the the Film Fest movies, Saratoga has some true movie-making talent.

“Since film isnt the most popular art-form, we thought it would be a good idea to bring it some more popularity,” Sheikh said.

Drinks, candy and popcorn were offered to each person who attended the event as they sat in front of the big screen. To some who attended the film fest, it was a relaxing evening of popcorn and movies, but to others it was a learning experience.

“I enjoyed watching other peoples’ films,” said junior Nick Yamamoto. “It inspires me. I realize I need to do better in some areas from watching other people’s films.”