by Prof. Greg Bandy / Highbridge Film Festival Director
This year’s Highbridge Film Festival will take place April 21. Submissions are due the first week of April and at that time I generally receive about 50 films. From those films, a Media Com faculty/staff vetting team will select a dozen or so of the best films for screening on the night of the big event.
I am often asked a lot of questions from filmmakers about content and the selection criteria for Highbridge, so allow me to put some of my notes from discussions with colleagues and past judges into an article about the festival.
NOTES ABOUT CONTENT
Let’s start with the big picture: Highbridge is not a general film festival — if you are looking for a general film festival that accepts all types of films no matter the message or lack of one, no matter the moral content, there are hundreds of festivals all over the world where you can enter your film.
Highbridge has a narrower, more specific vision. Highbridge is looking for stories with meaning, stories that matter, stories that will hold a mirror up and show us ourselves in a way that is truthful, compassionate and informed by the Christian view of the world and humanity.
At Highbridge, we are looking for films that demonstrate original and engaging redemptive storytelling. What does the redemptive part mean? This is perhaps one of the most misunderstood aspects about Highbridge.
First, what redemptive does not mean: redemptive storytelling does NOT mean a sanitized story that has been scrubbed clean of all the darkness of the human condition or of all the sin of the human heart – as though wickedness and sin do not exist in the world or are not a part of the human story.
But redemptive storytelling will always tell the truth about the dark side of human nature and will not glamorize it or suggest that it is satisfying, cool, funny or fun. Redemptive storytelling will always be honest about the wages of sin. The Bible offers many examples of stories about sinful men and women whose sin caused great misery and suffering in their own lives and the lives of those around them. It’s been said that redemption can only begin when you see yourself as you truly are, no matter how painful that realization may be.
Redemptive storytelling will also tell the truth about the virtuous life, of how it is always available for anyone who seeks it and how it is the only path that can lead to deep fulfillment, true love, genuine laughter and real joy.
Finally, because the Highbridge Film Festival is part of Asbury University’s Engaging Culture Week, any film we show must adhere to Asbury Community Standards and be considerate of our broad audience. Films should follow the Biblical mandate found in Philippians 4:8 to focus on those things that are true, those things that are noble, those things that are right, those things that are pure, those things that are lovely, those things that are admirable and whatever is excellent or praiseworthy.
Admittedly, these are the high standards. They are what make Highbridge unlike other film festivals. If you feel your film is a fit for Highbridge, we hope you will consider entering it.
(Visit www.highbridgefilmfestival.com for more submission details.)
NOTES ON STORY
On Crafting Your Story
You should give far more attention to your story than to any other single element in your film– good production can never make up for a poorly conceived story. Does your film tell an interesting, meaningful, engaging story? Is it always clear what your film is about or is it too cryptic, too self-indulgent and too personal? Did you think enough about your audience? Have you given us characters that we care about?
On Originality
Tell a story that is original and authentic to your experience. Don’t try to make a movie about a movie of which you are a fanboy/fangirl. Be original, authentic and extremely knowledgeable. If you have never read a science fiction novel, studied Celtic warfare or spoken to a homicide detective, well, there are some genres maybe to avoid for right now.
On the Value of Super Shorts
Here is my recommendation to beginning filmmakers. Start by producing a “super short” entry – a film that tells a story in under three minutes. We particularly like short, emotional palette cleansers that set us up for a good laugh, something heartfelt or a great surprise.
NOTES ON PRODUCTION
On Editing and Length
Keeping the film as short as possible actually allows you to distill the narrative for maximum potency and makes it easier to hold your audience’s attention. The max time limit for Highbridge is 8 minutes, INCLUDING CREDITS, but you would do well to keep it in the 6-minute range. An 8-minute film is an epic length for this festival, so it needs to be at the top of its game both technically and narratively to justify inclusion.
Edit Tip #1
Start the film as late as possible in the story and make the inciting incident take place within 30-90 seconds.
Edit Tip #2
Cut. Cut. Cut. The audience doesn’t need to see 10 seconds of a character walking down a street when two seconds will get the idea across—unless there’s a narrative reason we need to see that.
On Movie Craft
When it comes to the audio, cinematography and acting elements, remember this: We have vetting faculty who teach these areas and your film needs to demonstrate the principles taught in their respective classes. And be advised, the final round of judging with our industry expert judges, is even harder. The weakest link in your film may be what keeps it out of Highbridge or from winning a medal.
Final Thoughts
Filmmaking is a team sport. Get the best team you can assemble to tell your story.
