Schools
LTHS Students Win Top Honors At Halloween Student Film Festival
Students from Lyons Township High School received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema for their silent film titled, "Pink Lady"
Students from Lyons Township High School in La Grange and Western Springs received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema for their silent film submission titled “Pink Lady” at the Halloween Student Silent Film Festival (SSFF) held Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at the Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Avenue, Downers Grove.
The Halloween Student Silent Film Festival was a film competition in which students from 10 high schools created original motion pictures. Unlike other film competitions, however, the movies submitted told their stories in visual terms without the aid of voices or sound effects. Each school was given four weeks to create its silent film entry.
The LT students who created “Pink Lady” were Maddox McDonald, writer, director, and editor and Elliot Marcoux, assistant director and producer. The cast featured Grace Simmon, Milo Guevara, Pamela Podolner, and Blake Benjaminson.
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Participating high schools and media instructors:
- Lyons Township High School, Bill Allan
- Neuqua Valley High School, John Gelsomino
- New Trier High School, Jim Syrek
- Bremen High School, Michael Lynch
- Riverside/Brookfield High School, Gary Prokes
- Oak Forest High School, Michael Boniface
- Hillcrest High School, Michael Lynch
- Tinley Park High School, Michael Lynch
- Barrington High School, Jeff Doles
- Maine South High School, Mason Strom
“This year's event had a deliberately broad theme that revolved around Halloween,” said Ed Newmann of Hinsdale, one of three founders of the event. “We aimed for a truly unsettling atmosphere with elements of horror, suspense, and outright creepiness. Students unleased their imagination and created something that's truly spine-chilling.”
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Submitted movies were shown with live organ accompaniment by festival founder Derek Berg who is a professional pianist and CEO of the Clarendon Hills Music Academy.
“I made a convergence of the silent movie era musical spontaneity with improvisation,” Berg said. “My preparations were minimalistic. I let the film, the audience’s energy, and the eerie Halloween ambiance guide my music.”
For the festival, a panel of judges — all professionals in the entertainment or art education industries – selected Lyons Township as a winner based on the quality of the story narrative, development, camera work, lighting, and editing.
LTHS received an HD digital file of its movie with the accompaniment sound track.
“In addition to being an incomparable experience for all the participating students,” said Ed Newmann, “the winning filmmakers will have powerful pieces of work for their portfolios.”
For more information, visit: https://www.studentsilentfilmfestival.org/.
