50th Michigan Student Film Festival
Saturday, April 28, 2018 at the DIA's Detroit Film Theatre
Best of Show Videos
From the 330+ entries received for the 50th Michigan Student Film Festival, the following films were selected as "Best of Show" and screened at the DIA's Detroit Film Theatre on April 28, 2018.
Watch Senior Best of Show Videos
Watch Elementary/Junior Best of Show Videos
Best of Show Winners
| Grade Level | Title | Category | Special Awards | Student Names | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | A Homeless Man's Untold Story | Documentary/Event | Austin Bonnema | Careerline Tech Center | |
| Senior | You Don't Know Me. | Public Service Announcement | Gabriel Varga-Sanez, Camari Garrison, Lawrence Carter, Noah Turner, Camron Garrison, Kamyria Brown, Cece Bono, Dominic Barrett, Londie Morris, Elina Villemure, Hannah Stoneburner, Morgan Kirby, Korneel'yus Turner and Olivia Cantwell. | Downriver Detroit Student Film Consortium | |
| Senior | FULL/EMPTY | Other (including experimental) | Leila Hilf, Max Zimmerman | Detroit Country Day School | |
| Senior | Fighting Cancer | News/Sports/Magazine Program | Keenan Penn II, Sidney Rozzisi | Fraser High School | |
| Senior | EAS | Narrative Film (short or feature excerpt) | Xian Castillo, Will Baker, Angel Guzman | Careerline Tech Center | |
| Senior | The Substitute Teacher | Other (including experimental) | Jake Munson, Zach Sackrider, Carter Liss | Vicksburg High school | |
| Senior | Don't Turn Your Windshield Into A Screen! | Public Service Announcement | Christina Grandy, Colin Panoff, Noelle Lowrie | Troy Athens High School | |
| Senior | Crossroads Coyote | Animation | Best Animated Film | Brendon Schreiber | Romeo High School |
| Senior | Coloring Outside The Lines | Other (including experimental) | Dara Geva | Skyline High School (Ann Arbor) | |
| Senior | Walk for Water - Football | Public Service Announcement | Austin Bonnema | Careerline Tech Center | |
| Senior | Bloom | Animation | Richard Unger | Birmingham Groves High School | |
| Senior | Athens Fringe Fest | Documentary/Event | Rachel Goodman | Troy Athens High School | |
| Senior | Worst Day Ever | Narrative Film (short or feature excerpt) | Camryn Tynan, Hailey Rizk, Connor Kanarios, Class | Detroit Country Day School | |
| Senior | him. | Other (including experimental) | Therese Labordo, Jane Kim | Detroit Country Day School | |
| Senior | The Renegades | Animation | Sebastian Cubillejo, Max Rakozy, Emily Cherry, Derrick McBride-Hackett, Spencer Szczepanski, Sebastian Simon | Grosse Pointe North High School | |
| Senior | Interlinked | Narrative Film (short or feature excerpt) | Maple Theatre Best Narrative Film | Drew Hartley, Chase Arnett, Chlor Holderbaum, Taylor Minto, Cameron Hartley | Genesee Career Institute |
| Senior | The Gray Castle | Narrative Film (short or feature excerpt) | Christopher L. Kaufmann | Hemlock High School | |
| Senior | Just One Quick Text | Public Service Announcement | Alexander Smith | Vicksburg High School | |
| Senior | Sprout | Animation | Teresa Nguyen | Careerline Tech Center | |
| Senior | Listen To The Signs | Public Service Announcement | Best PSA | Shane Verkest | Frederick V. Pankow Center |
| Senior | Living Without Limits | Documentary/Event | Castorri Senior Audience Choice Award | Noah Hudson-Peralta | Frederick V. Pankow Center |
| Senior | A Good Death | Narrative Film (short or feature excerpt) | Brian Farstvedt, Talia Summerville, John Balian, Tyler Battershell | Lake Orion High School | |
| Senior | Mobbin with the Clique | Music Video | Best Music Video | Nicholas Weise, Micah Williams | Lake Orion High School |
| Senior | Mountain Unicycling | Other (including experimental) | Richard Tharrett | Henry Ford ll Highschool | |
| Senior | One Drink | Public Service Announcement | Maddie Miller | Lake Orion High School | |
| Senior | Our Personas | Narrative Film (short or feature excerpt) | William Higbie, Isha Chitre, Peter Gold | University Liggett School | |
| Senior | Painting the Town | Documentary/Event | Prusak Visionary Award for Best Documentary | William Higbie | University Liggett School |
| Senior | Skin | Other (including experimental) | Best Experimental Video | Erin Brennan, Sam Gramer, Kai Rivers | Detroit Country Day School |
| Senior | Recycling For A Future | News/Sports/Magazine Program | Best News/Sports Feature | Brian Farstvedt, Tyler Battershell | Lake Orion High School |
| Senior | Saving Lake St. Clair | Documentary/Event | Rachel Goodman | Troy Athens High School | |
| Elem - Junior | Animals Being Bros | Animation | The 5th grade students of Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. O'Rourke and Mrs. Pardington | Beverly Elementary School | |
| Elem - Junior | International Marble Races IMR | Other (including experimental) | Castorri Elem/Junior Audience Choice Award | John Burns | Long Meadow Elementary School (Troy) |
| Elem - Junior | Welcome to Animation Camp | Animation | Students of Dearborn's Lindbergh and DuVall Elementary Schools - 2017 DAFT Animation Camp | Lindbergh and DuVall Elementary Schools - Dearborn | |
| Elem - Junior | Color | Animation | Jerry Xia, Ian Plansker, Atticus Henry | Pierce Middle School (Grosse Pointe) | |
| Elem - Junior | DREAM BIG | Public Service Announcement | Dominic Barrett, Morgan Kirby, Korneel'yus Turner, Elina Villemure and Olivia Cantwell. | Downriver Detroit Student Film Consortium | |
| Elem - Junior | Inside the Artist's Mind | Animation | Students of Dearborn's Lindbergh and DuVall Elementary Schools - 2017 DAFT Animation Camp | Lindbergh and DuVall Elementary Schools - Dearborn | |
| Elem - Junior | The Bosnian War (1992-1995) | Documentary/Event | Marcus Rampin | Larson Middle School (Troy) | |
| Elem - Junior | Segregation Through History | Narrative Film (short or feature excerpt) | Jai-Lauryn Dearing, Owen Domzalski, Ashlyn Johnson, Luc Michaud, Emma Stricker | Pierce Middle School (Grosse Pointe) | |
| Elem - Junior | Take On Me | Music Video | A'kos Choinski, Alesio Ziu, Roman Muscillo, Ben Dyer | Baker Middle School - Troy School District | |
| Elem - Junior | Lil Bobcat - iPad Misuse PSA | Public Service Announcement | Atharva Dharphale, Shaun Dantas, Alex Justice, Matthew Yemmans, Adrian Officer | Baker Middle School - Troy School District | |
| Elem - Junior | Solo and Ensemble News Package | Documentary/Event | Lisa Hoy, Angela Woytowich | Novi Middle School | |
| Elem - Junior | Magic Ruler | Animation | Students of Dearborn's Lindbergh and DuVall Elementary Schools - 2017 DAFT Animation Camp | Lindbergh and DuVall Elementary Schools - Dearborn | |
| Elem - Junior | Predator & Prey: Opioids' savage effect on our community | Documentary/Event | Trojan TV Staff | East Middle School (Traverse City) |
50th Festival Winners!
- A free Canon DSLR camera kit for Detroit Catholic Central High School--drawn from all school memberships (link to Membership levels)
- All entries were eligible for festival drawings of free professional gear
- $250 ProCam gift cards for category winners (PSA, music video, etc.)
- $500 cash prize from the Maple Theatre for best narrative film to Drew Hartley, Chase Arnett, Chlor Holderbaum, Taylor Minto and Cameron Hartley for "Interlinked" from the Genesee Career Institute
- $500 cash prize best documentary--the 3rd annual John Prusak Visionary Award to William Higbie of University Liggett for "Painting the Town"
- Partial scholarship to College for Creative Studies to Becca Messner of Royal Oak High School
- Partial scholarship to Lawrence Technological University to Hunter Valtema of Careerline Tech Center (Holland)
- Full one-year scholarship to Specs Howard School of Media Arts to Brianna Bossler of Careerline Tech Center (Holland)
- Full one-year scholarship to the Motion Picture Institute to Conner McBain of L'Anse Creuse North High School
Festival Media and Info
View Festival ProgramCool DAFT Things About April 28th's 50th Michigan Student Film Festival
2018 Festival Sponsors & Special Friends
Especially, Elliot Wilhelm, Larry Baranski, Margaret Thomas, Matthew Breneau, Paul Bancel, Jody Huellmantel, Gavin Lynch and Catherine Lauerman.
Special thanks to Chris Weagel, DAFT’s webmaster, Ted Houser, Show Reel-Editor, Ruth Daniels of the Maple Theater, Michelle Lawton Mullen of Buddy’s Pizza,
Bill Wolbrink & the staff and students at Careerline Tech Center (Holland).
DAFT 2018 Festival Video Trailers and Photos
Go to 2018 Festival video trailers page
Go to 2018 Festival photo gallery page
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