MHS students showcase filmmaking skills

Films by aspiring filmmakers from Marianas High School were shown last week in the school’s 3rd Annual Film and Arts Festival. (Mackenzie Perez)

Marianas High School students showcased their filmmaking skills last Friday in the school’s 3rd Annual Film and Arts Festival that also celebrated the end of school year.

The Video Productions Club and International Thespian Society Tech Club of MHS organized the event—from marketing, setting up the lights and sound machine, to soliciting to the community to make sure the event was a success.

The films that were presented last Friday night were Visitor by Oshay Sablan, Crossroads by Jose Rabago Jr., Incomplete by Beltran Muna, Underground Card Players by John Pangelinan, Yours Truly, Anthony by Nemerlyn Magat, and ending the night with Infiltrator again Sablan.

“Crossroads is a short film inspired by a comedian” according to Rabago. “The moral of the story is never to get directions from a person that you don’t trust, giving it the comedic feel.”

Incomplete is about finding the meaning of happiness. The main character has everything he wants but feels unhappy until a friend of his took his happiness.

Yours Truly, Anthony is a sequel to a previous film by Magat entitled Dearest Andrea. It acts as closure for Andrea and Anthony’s unlikely story with many twists and turns. Sablan’s Infiltrator is about the fears of being stalked and followed, even in the safety of your own home. While Muna’s other film Visitor is about two friends coming across an abandoned lighthouse with a disturbing past.

Sablan and Magat will be competing in Lincoln, Nebraska for the short film competition at the annual International Thespian Festival against other high school students. This event, co-organized by the MHS student filmmakers in the Video Productions Club and ITS Tech Club, was held to show their skills in visual arts and share them with the public.

“We do this for ourselves because not many people get to watch these films so when we present them during the event we have the chance to make people feel scared, sad, happy, inspired, and something they could relate to in their personal live,” said Muna.

“So when we see the crowd laughing, screaming, crying, or any other emotion, their reaction gives us the pride that we will continue to do what we love and to never doubt ourselves,” he added.

The festival began in 2012 with ITS Tech Club, having only a few members, wanting to show their films. Bruce Li, Angelo Alvarez, Steven Roque, Jackie Manglonzo, Dennis DeGuia, and David Yang where the only members then.

“Thanks to them, this Film Festival is now a fun and never ending tradition that future members will enjoy just as we did,” said Muna.

MHS Productions and ITS Tech members would like to thank their advisers for all the guidance given to them. From teaching them how to be independent and to working as a team.