SOCH Cinema Presents Film Fest

Between the thoughtful discussions of film aficionados and the gentle hum of the projector, the Student Organization Center at Hilles Cinema buzzed with activity this weekend as enthusiasts joined student directors and producers for the inaugural Harvard Undergraduate Film Festival.

Twenty-two short films were presented over the two-day festival, with submissions in fiction, documentary, stop-motion animation, and hand-drawn animation—as well as one music video.

The event, a collaborative effort of SOCH administrators and several student organizations, was a welcome breath of fresh air at the chronically under-used student space. Colleen F. O’Brien ’11, the events coordinator at the SOCH who spearheaded the event, said that the festival owes its existence primarily to former manager David R. Friedrich’s initiative to revitalize the SOCH and its image.

“When I was originally hired as an events coordinator at the SOCH, this was one of several programming ideas that [David] had on the table,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien added that in planning the event, coordinators didn’t specifically target students in the Visual and Environmental Studies department, who give their own end-of-semester screenings for class-based work.

“It’s great that the VES students have a screening opportunity, but we wanted that platform to be available to everyone,” she said, also noting that with submissions from both a graduate and a VES professor, the festival was not limited to undergraduate filmmakers.

And although the festival’s predominant spirit was not one of competition, several outstanding submissions will be recognized with accolades presented later this week.

The festival’s co-sponsors included Harvard Undergraduate Television, the Havardwood Undergraduate Student Organization, and the Cinematic, Harvard’s annual undergraduate film publication.

Derek M. Flanzraich ’10, one of HUTV’s co-presidents, said that his organization was truly eager to contribute.

“We were really excited about the idea of having a film festival or any opportunity to showcase student work,” Flanzraich said.

In addition to helping with logistics and supplying content, Flanzraich added “We also had a lot of our members of our organization showcasing work.”

—Staff writer Edward-Michael Dussom can be reached at emdussom@fas.harvard.edu.