Filmmaking is a hard-hitting art form, and it takes so much hard work and dedication to create a film people want to see. The Pacific Northwest and the University of Idaho are home to many talented filmmakers, and it’s possible to see and celebrate their hard work with the upcoming KINO Short Film Festival on Friday, April 29.
This annual event has been held since 2001 and brings the community together to see the hard work of seniors in the University of Idaho film program as well as filmmakers from across the region. Anyone interested can head to the Kenworthy Theater for the in-person event at 6:30 p.m., and there will also be a live stream which can be viewed on the Kino Film Fest website.
Kyle Howerton, the director of KINO Film Fest since 2019, explained that the festival gives filmmakers of all levels a chance to connect with each other as well as with the community. “We want to bring all of these filmmakers together to network and talk about their projects, and maybe think of something new to work on with each other.”
For students of the Film Program UI, this film festival is their ultimate senior experience, one last way to prove everything they’ve learned and showcase their talents. The student-created short films are the result of a year-long process, beginning in Advanced Filmmaking 1 with writing and brainstorming. And then spend their second semester in Advanced Filmmaking 2 shooting their shorts and putting it all together.
Until recently, the KINO Film Festival was restricted to UI students, but in 2016 the festival began accepting applications from Pacific Northwest filmmakers and students participating in different film programs. . The hope of the KINO coordinators is that by expanding the variety and level of submissions, U of I film students would be inspired and motivated to work even harder to produce their best short films, creating work of the same caliber as professional filmmakers in the region. .
“It’s nice to bring in other professional filmmakers to try and inspire students to work a little harder and make a better movie,” Howerton said.
As such a widely celebrated film festival for our region, there are usually quite a few submissions from students and people from across the Pacific Northwest hoping to secure a spot on the program. There are usually between 20-40 films submitted, with only 12-15 films selected for this one-night-only event.
With films not exceeding ten minutes each, and question and answer times with each filmmaker, the event should last nearly 3 hours. Doors open at 6 a.m. and seats are allocated in order of arrival. Participants should therefore arrive at the Kenworthy early to ensure they don’t miss a thing. And although the festival is free, if attendees can, they are encouraged to make donations to help support the event and any costs necessary to organize something like this. Anyone interested should take this opportunity to support local filmmakers and experience an evening of creativity and entertainment.
“I think it’s going to be a pretty exciting night,” Howerton said. “This is the first time we’ve been back in person since 2019, and we expect over 200 people to attend.”
Grace Giger can be reached at [email protected]
