Before Judd Apatow was the king of the juvenile bro-mance he was, more than likely a juvenile himself. Kids and movies have been paired since Spanky and the Little Rascals made their Depression era debut but rarely do we get to see what kids can do given the chance to get behind the camera. The Pendragwyn Youth Film Festival is showcasing local young film makers with a festival all their own. Organized by the local group Pendragwyn Film Foundation, the event will highlight the work of kids between the ages of 11 and 18. Here’s a glimpse of what you will see in the festival’s promo video.
The festival will take place at the Atlas Performing Arts Center this Sunday the 16, from 12-6pm. Admission is free (although online booking will set you back $2) In addition to catching movies made by local kids participants can take workshops in lighting design and script writing. The films range from documentaries on DC’s homeless situation to something called Textaholic which sound promising. A full schedule of the day can be found here.
Kids can also attend a college and high school fair for media and the arts. World-traveling dance troupe Step Afrika! will give a mini-performance at 4:15. Local arts maven Phillipa Hughes, of the Pink Line Project, will make the opening remarks.
One lucky film maker will win a grand prize, a six-week film workshop at the Interlochen Center for the arts where they can learn about the craft of film making and story telling.
Pendragwn Foundation is the not-for-profit arm on Pendragwn Productions, a film company located on the Hill. Last year the film makers went to the Sudan to document a trip home by some of that country’s Lost Boys.
Jen DeMayo is Director of Community for the Atlas Performing Arts Center.