This past Friday, Light House Studio took over the Ix Building to showcase the best of 2008 with their 7th Annual Youth Film Festival. Following beer, wine, and appetizers, (served by some of the non-profit’s more notable supporters themselves), the crowd moved to the screening room for eight short films and fresh popcorn. While not every film fell neatly under the festival’s theme of “Power,” I will agree that all were “by some cool kids about some powerful stuff,” as the event program boasted.

For those who aren’t familiar, Light House is a media education center for teenagers who want to make movies with an emphasis on personal expression and local stories. My favorites from Friday incorporated both. In Reid Hildebrand and Justin Weiss’s excellent documentary, “Smile You’re on 3000 Cameras,” civil liberties and community security were assessed by citizens downtown as Mayor Dave Norris and Police Chief Tim Longo provided the history and details behind security cameras on the downtown mall.

“Power Me Westhaven” presented a video portrait made by, and starring, youth of Friendship Court. Interviewees of a variety of ages shared their perspectives on the power of God, money, love, fighting, shame, and family with the camera. The engaging project, which “kept it reel,” was overseen by seven mentors, including Light House Studio founding director Shannon Worrell.

Finally, in “Calorie Count,” the evening’s only narrative piece, filmmakers Aidan Keith-Hynes and Reid Hildebrand parodied the 2006 movie “Crank” with a Water Street action thriller starring their own mentor (and previous director of Light House) Richard Needham. Injected with the “Shanghai Cocktail” (in the dark alley beside the Jefferson Theater) the hero’s super-charged metabolism forces him to eat constantly to stay alive. He stocks up on Little Debbie snacks from Lucky Seven as he attempts to obtain the antidote from his assailants. Watch it and Reid’s other films on his YouTube page.

Here is “Calorie Count”

The screening also included two humorous stop-action animation shorts, a documentary of a wearable art fashion show at STAB, and even a music video.

“Divine Intervention”

cvilleMUSE’s tickets were generously donated by BRI Works. Thanks, BRI!

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