SMPTE and HPA Announce Official Selections for 2017 SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., and LOS ANGELES -- Sept. 21, 2017 -- SMPTE(R), the organization whose standards work has supported a century of technological advances in entertainment technology, and the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced the official selections for the 2017 SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival. Jurors curated the official selections from 119 shorts submitted by student filmmakers from more than 30 countries. 

Hosted by Howard Lukk, director of engineering and standards at SMPTE, and Aimée Ricca, marketing and communication at SMPTE, the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 23, at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on Level 3 of the Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, California. The event is being held in conjunction with the SMPTE 2017 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SMPTE 2017). The official selections will be presented in SMPTE Digital Cinema Package (SMPTE-DCP) format. Further information about the event is available at http://www.smpte2017.org/student-film.html. 

"The bar for entry to this year's competition was higher than ever, and we're delighted with the rich array of entries we received from around the world," said SMPTE Education Vice President Richard Welsh, CEO of Sundog Media Toolkit. "Each of this year's official selections demonstrates the potential of new entertainment technology as a storytelling tool, and each is a visual testament to the creativity and inventiveness of the newest generation of filmmakers."

2017 SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival Official Selections:

Innovative Use of Entertainment Technology to Engage the Audience in the Story -- Animated Short (5 minutes or less)

"Attack of the Mothman" by Meg Viola

Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota, Florida, U.S.)

"Hope" by Alireza Bidar

Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, Georgia, U.S.)

"KCLOC" by Ninaad Kulkarni

School of Visual Arts (New York, U.S.)

"Tiny Wing" by Wei Li

Academy of Art University (San Francisco, California, U.S.)

"Tom in Couchland" by James Just

Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota, Florida, U.S.)

"VERGE" by ChingTien Chu

School of Visual Arts (New York, U.S.)

Innovative Use of Entertainment Technology to Engage the Audience in the Story -- Live-Action Short (5 minutes or less)

"Bittersweet Memories" by Stephanie LI Yuqi

Hong Kong Design Institute (Tiu Keng Wan, Hong Kong)

"Dunce" by Joshua Walquist

University of Oklahoma (Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.)

"Mind Game" by Weisi Dai

School of Visual Arts (New York, U.S.)

"Transformation" by Nicolas Medrano

Polytechnic School (Pasadena, California, U.S.)

Innovative Use of Technology in an Experimental Short (3 min. or less) 

"AEON" by Derek O'Dell

Chapman University (Orange, California, U.S.)

"Jazz Orgie" by Irina Rubina

Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Ludwigsburg, Germany)

Innovative Use of Mobile Device or Tablet to Convey a Story -- Narrative Short

"LONDON STRIKE" by Jiranant Kanjanagawin

University of Greenwich (London, U.K.)

"The Great Game of Men" by Le Han

Language Systems International College (Pasadena, California, U.S.)

Innovative Use of Analog Technologies in a Live Action Narrative Short (5 min. or less)

"Frenemy" by Andrew Paul Davis

Chapman University (Orange, California, U.S.)

"Home" by Vivian Lau

Emerson College (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.)

Documentary Short With Technology as the Subject Matter (5 min. or less) 

"Baylor VirtuOso Documentary Short on Use of Technology in VR Music Video" by Gustavo Raskowsky

Baylor University (Waco, Texas, U.S.)

Award winners for each category will be announced and presented at the festival. In addition, the Audience Choice Award will be voted on by attendees and presented at the conclusion of the festival.

"The student filmmakers entered in the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival come from academic programs around the world, presenting us with a truly global creative perspective from the next generation of filmmakers," said Seth Hallen, president of HPA. "The vision for the future they have shown us is exciting, and I'm now certain, more than ever, that we are in for amazing things to come. HPA is proud to co-present this outstanding festival and will cheer on all of the filmmakers in October."

Tickets to attend the 2017 SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival are available with SMPTE 2017 registration packages or separately at www.smpte2017.org. Admission to the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival is free for students, and a $25 donation to benefit the SMPTE Education Fund is suggested for other attendees. Those that donate may use promo code SFF2017 to receive a complimentary exhibits-only pass for SMPTE 2017. Complimentary passes are limited to new exhibits-only registrations and may not be used for previous registrations, any other conference registration packages, and/or applied to special event ticket purchases.

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About the Hollywood Professional Association

Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) serves the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools, and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media, and other dynamic media content. Through their partnership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers(R) (SMPTE(R)), the leader in the advancement of the art, science, and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem, the HPA continues to extend its support of the community it represents. Information about the HPA is available at www.hpaonline.com.

About SMPTE(R)

For more than a century, the people of SMPTE (pronounced "simp-tee") have sorted out the details of many significant advances in media and entertainment technology, from the introduction of "talkies" and color television to HD and UHD (4K, 8K) TV. Since its founding in 1916, SMPTE has received an Oscar(R) and multiple Emmy(R) Awards for its work in advancing moving-imagery engineering across the industry. SMPTE has developed thousands of standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines, more than 800 of which are currently in force today. SMPTE Time Code(TM) and the ubiquitous SMPTE Color Bars(TM) are just two examples of SMPTE's notable work. As it enters its second century, SMPTE is shaping the next generation of standards and providing education for the industry to ensure interoperability as the industry evolves further into IT- and IP-based workflows.

SMPTE's global membership today includes more than 7,000 members: motion-imaging executives, creatives, technologists, researchers, and students who volunteer their time and expertise to SMPTE's standards development and educational initiatives. A partnership with the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) connects SMPTE and its membership with the businesses and individuals who support the creation and finishing of media content. Information on joining SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org/join.

All trademarks appearing herein are the properties of their respective owners.

Link to Word Doc: www.wallstcom.com/SMPTE/170921SMPTE.docx 

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/SMPTE/SMPTE-2016-Student-Film-Festival-Audience-Choice.jpeg

Photo Caption: Andy Cook, Head of Global Education Strategy at Avid, and Anna Dining, 2017 Audience Choice Award Winner

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/SMPTE/SMPTE-2016-Student-Film-Festival-Departure.jpeg 

Photo Caption: SMPTE Director of Engineering and Standards Howard Lukk poses with Emily Pietro, filmmaker of 2017 official selection "Depature," and Jamey Russell.

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