Bellevue High School graduate Jocelyn R.C. and Interlake High School graduate Nathalie Con are opening doors for talented youth. Currently attending the Dodge College of Film Media and Arts at Chapman University, the two girls will fly home this coming weekend to oversee the National Film Festival for Talented Youth – Seattle’s version of Sundance.
Known as NFFTY, the non-profit film festival was co-founded by Jesse Harris and R.C., two young filmmakers interested in founding a creative youth organization. Kyle Seago, also a young passionate filmmaker, quickly hopped on board with Harris and R.C. and they established the Seattle-based, socially responsible arts and cultural organization called The Talented Youth and NFFTY.
The mission of The Talented Youth is to encourage and acknowledge the accomplishments of young artists working in the visual and performing arts. NFFTY works in conjunction with The Talented Youth to celebrate the creative talents of today’s youth and the compelling stories they tell.
“The idea came about when I was a junior in high school,” R.C. explained. “I wanted to start an organization that would basically showcase and promote different art by young people and simultaneously provide opportunities for them to use their art in order to raise awareness and funds for causes that they were passionate about.”
NFFTY is now in its third year.
The three-day festival, taking place April 24-26, will feature more than 100 original films by young people under 22 years of age, as well as filmmaking workshops and concerts by young, upcoming musicians. Young filmmakers from around the world submitted feature-length and short films in narrative, documentary, animation, music video, experimental, and international categories for consideration. From more than 400 submissions, Executive Director and Founder Harris and his jury selected 113 films that will be shown in themed programs – the most films the festival has ever shown. Of the 113 films screening at NFFTY 09, 29 are by Seattle-area filmmakers including two showing opening night.
Bellevue 13-year-old filmmaker Ben Kadie has had a film in every NFFTY festival since it launched. He wrote, directed and starred in the film, “Murder at the Pharaoh’s Grave.” Although set in Egypt, the film was shot in Ben’s backyard using green screen and home made sets.
Films shown at NFFTY enjoy distribution opportunities through partnerships including Comcast On Demand in the greater Seattle area, Indieflix, and Takepart.com. “Best of NFFTY” films are shown in school classrooms and screened before feature presentations at Seattle area outdoor cinema events.
The NFFTY 2009 Grand Prize will be an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to meet with creative executives and agents, thanks to HBO. Another filmmaker will receive a full scholarship to attend the summer Prodigy Camp of TheFilmSchool.
This year’s festival will take place at multiple locations including the EMP, Seattle International Film Festival and Seattle Cinerama.
At this festival, R.C and Con also will be promoting a new environmental and educational campaign called NFFTY Earth. The campaign will promote the power of film to bring positive changes to the environment, support social justice, and encourage peace and partnerships with other countries.
“NFFTY Earth is making its debut and we’re hoping it makes a big entrance,” explained Con. “We’re trying to be a lot greener this year and encourage young people to use their artist skills to raise awareness for social justice and environmental issues.”
To launch NFFTY Earth, R.C. and Con created a benefit CD to sell at the festival. Artists such as Interlake High School senior Ben Fisher will be featured on the CD.
“We’re hoping to eventually expand NFFTY and get into the music scene, the arts, and fashion,” said Con.
NFFTY was envisioned as a socially responsible film festival from the start. In 2009, NFFTY will be carbon neutral, with all greenhouse gases created as a result of the festival offset through the purchase of carbon credits that invest in renewable energy projects. For the second year in a row, the festival will be using local vendors, products made with post-consumer waste materials, and on-site recycling programs to be as sustainable as possible.
“The long-term goal with NFFTY is to make it a fulcrum for up and coming youth filmmakers,” R.C. explained. “A place where both industry professionals and the talented youth to flock to in order to network with each other and learn and grow as artists.”
NFFTY
April 24-April 26
Fifth Cinema in Seattle and EMP, the Vera Project. Several different locations.
113 films, from 20 states and 8 countries. 3 levels of tickets $8. Film screenings and panels of professionals. $5. VIP Pass $65. Opening Night Gala $50. http://www.nffty.org/
