The reality bytes film festival was a two-day event that kicked off on a Tuesday evening, with the first showing taking place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Cole Hall, Room 100. The festival was a great success, with a high turnout of students and a wide range of films that showcased the creativity and talent of student-made short films and animations. The festival was organized by Laura Vazquez, the director of Reality Bytes, who spoke about the purpose of the event. “Reality Bytes is a student-run film festival,” Vazquez said. “It was designed to focus on student-made films so we could create a community of student made filmmakers and students who appreciate film. We’ve learned that students love shorts, and so the longest film we play, ever, is 30 minutes.” Vazquez emphasized the importance of promoting student-made content and providing a platform for students to share their work. One of the highlights of the festival was the variety of films that were shown, including animated shorts, documentaries, and feature films. The films were carefully selected to showcase the diversity of student-made content and to provide a platform for emerging talent. Some of the films that were shown included:
- “Examination” by Hao Ni
- “Stay Out of the Sun” by Zola Franchi, Vivienne Ayres and Nidhi Kumar
- “One Wrong Step” by Elden Theaker
- “Summer Wedding” by Ting Li Tsai
- “Hamster Heist” by Alex Taylor Payne
- “Me But Better” by Emma Elizabeth Brown
- “Forgive Me Father” by Niccolo Civita
- “Buggin’” by Samuel Fesmire
- “Seaweed Soup” by Taeyoung Ryoo
- “Eye of the Beholder” by John Benjamin Terrell
These films showcased the creativity and talent of student-made filmmakers, and provided a platform for emerging talent to showcase their work. At the end of the first showing, audience members were asked to vote for their favorite film on ballots provided in the programs. The film that captivated the hearts of the audience was “Seaweed Soup,” a heartwarming film about a father and daughter making seaweed soup for their mother’s birthday. In the end, it is revealed that the father has passed away, and the daughter was guided by her memories of him to assemble the dish. The audience was impressed by the quality of the films, and many praised the storytelling and direction. Emily Frahm, a sophomore majoring in communications disorder, came to Reality Bytes after enjoying the festival last year. “We went last year actually and it was really, really fun and really exciting,” Frahm said. “And so my friend Nick was like, ‘hey, it’s happening again.’ And so, I don’t know, it’s fun to see different films.” Frahm was excited to see the variety of films that were shown at the festival. Tyler Cody, a senior art major, said his favorite film was “Forgive Me Father” because of the shocking twist at the end. “It was ‘Forgive Me Father’ because it’s such a strong film that I didn’t expect that the priest was, you know, got, like, this girl pregnant,” Cody said. The twist was unexpected, but the film was well-crafted and engaging. After the first showing, raffle tickets were drawn to give out door prizes. Some of the prizes included a voucher for a scoop of ice cream from Culvers and two escape rooms tickets. The prizes were a great way to reward the audience for their participation in the festival. Vazquez said that she felt good about the audience of day one of Reality Bytes. “I thought it was a great turnout. The energy was high. There were a lot of students. I think everybody had a good time,” Vazquez said. The festival was a huge success, and the audience was left feeling inspired and excited for the next event. Night two of the Reality Bytes Film Festival will feature different films from the first showing, including the winners of the best feature film, best documentary, best animated short, and best high school film. The winners will be announced at the end of the showing, and the audience will have the opportunity to see the films that were chosen for these prestigious awards. In conclusion, the Reality Bytes Film Festival was a celebration of student-made short films and animations, showcasing the creativity and talent of emerging filmmakers. The festival provided a platform for students to share their work, and the audience was left feeling inspired and excited for the next event. The Reality Bytes Film Festival will return next year, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this innovative and exciting event.