The Syracuse International Film Festival presented 9 selected short movies to showcase new filmmakers of Syracuse University this weekend.
The two-hour screening began with “The Stranger” by Siyang Zhang, a 20-minute Chinese movie that depicts the complexity of relationships and sense of loneliness in a foreign land. It was followed by films with topics ranging from homosexuality, open relationships, and star-obsession, to slavery and self-love.
Many people attended the event despite the continuous rain, including McKenna Batterson, a student at New School Theater department. Batterson expressed her appreciation of the films shown.
“I thought they were all on different spectrums and each had an artistic message to it, which was really wonderfully and beautifully done, it just brought a lot of diversity to the screen.”
Batterson viewed films from three different styles with very different topics,
“It seems like we are creating a lot of really strong filmmakers from what I saw today.”
Reflecting on the Chinese films featured, Seok Wun Au Yong, a Master of Fine Arts film student and Chinese descendent from Malaysia got a glimpse of home culture.
“It is nice to see them gathering together, having a meal and singing a karaoke, there is a sense of home for me to see that.”
Yong shared her optimism about the film industry,
“I think people are getting more authentic with what they are trying to see. I feel positive about the direction filmmakers are going to.”
All directors are from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Newhouse School Television-Radio-Film department.
LIST OF FILMS SCREENED AT NEW FILMMAKERS' SHOWCASE
- Siyang Zhang: THE STRANGER
- Wei Jiao: TEETH
- Yifeng Chen: LIGHT
- Carlton Daniel: MONOOGEMISH
- Munjal Himanshu Yagnik: DREAM INTERRUPTED
- Donato Rossi: THE DAY I BEGAN TO LOVE MYSELF
- Spencer Garrison: NOTHING IS NOTHING
- Prash Sampathkumaran: THE LEGEND OF SCOTTY WATTS
- Monica Bermudez and Matthew Fernandes: AMERICAN VOICES
- Zachary Antell: PLAYER TWO
Zachary Antell, a 2016 film graduate, showed his film “Player Two,” an animated work about how two brothers grow up and are increasingly bonded by their mutual love of video games. Antell attended the screening and talked about his confidence in SU’s film education.
“I think our grade and the grade below us and all grades seem pretty talented for the past decade, looks like we are standing out.”
As a filmmaker, he compares the difference in Asian and American storytelling.
“The Chinese movies definitely had a slower pace which is actually a kind of a relief because I think some American films especially student films focus on being too exciting and that can look kind of stupid.”
The Syracuse International Film Festival concludes on Sunday, with a final presentation at the Palace Theater of “Jazz on a Summer’s Day”.
