MTV Star and 2002 graduate Andrew Jenks will be the Keynote speaker at the school film club’s 10th Annual Film Festival on Friday April 20.
Jenks, currently working on season two of his MTV series “World of Jenks,” established the film festival at Hen Hud in 2002, when he got James Earl Jones to attend as the first key note speaker.
“We thought it only fitting that (Jenks) come back ten years later to reflect on what the festival has meant to him and his career,” said Film Festival coordinator and teacher, Paul LaVallee. LaVallee took over the Film Club and festival after its former advisor Tom Oliva took a earlier this year.
“The Hendrick Hudson Film Festival was started to give young filmmakers a chance to showcase their films in front of a real crowd in a real theater,” Jenks said. “Our goal remains the same: to be the most substantive and entertaining All-American high school film festival in the country - to inspire, to learn, and to appreciate the talent in our own backyards.”
The film festival draws hundreds of students throughout the tri-state area and is regarded as the premiere high school festival and one of the biggest in the area. About 20 student-made films from Hen Hud, as well as Briarcliff, Byram Hills, Lakeland, Pelham, Westlake, New Rochelle, Putnam Valley, and Clarkstown high schools will be screened and each is competing for individual awards, as well as for the coveted grand prize; “The Andrew W. Jenks Award.” Jenks will hold a Q&A session and will take photos and chat with participants and visitors to the festival.
Beginning with a Red Carpet event at 6:30 p.m., this year’s Film Festival will feature a number of student created, produced and edited documentary films in categories including Music Video, Animation, Documentary, Drama and Comedy.
Ian Skalky, President of the Hen Hud Film Club, will show a film he has been working on with two friends. "Turning Tables" is a "mocumentary" about a the conflict between a stupid actor who is only interested in flipping tables over and a director trying to make a winning film to for a film festival.
"The film fest is great because it gets to showcase student work that normally wouldn’t be showcased," Skalky said. "It is one thing to have video on youtube but another thing to have a whole almost theater of people vieiwing your movie."
Admission to the festival is $5 and T-shirts, popcorn and candy will be sold.
“We hope you can join us and support the arts in your community! You will be amazed to see what our kids are doing with cameras these days,” concluded LaVallee.
