PRSFF 17
Established by Alma College student Patrick Mallett in 2017, the 1st annual Pine River Film Festival received 250+ submissions from around the globe. After a careful acceptance process, 24 stunning films from high school and college filmmakers, documentarians and storytellers screened for an audience of students and community members in a one-day program on campus at Alma College.
Audience Awards were presented to the films that received the most votes at each category's screening. Grand Jury Awards were bestowed on the films that PRSFF's panel of Judges, world-class scholars and critics, decided were the best of each category.
See you next year!
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS
Still from Puget Sound, winner of the High School Narrative Audience Award.
Puget Sound
Director: Jack Nordstrom
Teenagers find inspiration to make a super 8 movie in the summer of 1980.
Still from Welcome Home, winner of the High School Documentary Audience Award.
Welcome Home
Director: Luke Broyles
An intimate perspective of five Vietnam veterans, after they return home.
Still from American Zombies, winner of the College Narrative Audience Award.
American Zombies
director: joe bowes
A dysfunctional family of zombies sit down for dinner.
Still from The Beelievers, winner of the College Documentary Audience Award.
The Beelievers
Director: Leah Bleich
Bees are an indicator species, the canary in a coal mine for our environment and our world. By focusing on these busy insects, we hope to provide an angle on the need to be aware of our impact on the earth, and to teach people simple steps to protect the planet.
Grand jury award Winners
Still from Puget Sound, winner of the High School Narrative Judge's Award.
Puget Sound
Director: Jack Nordstrom
Teenagers find inspiration to make a super 8 movie in the summer of 1980.
Still from Seeking Rebirth, winner of the High School Documentary Grand Jury Award.
Seeking Rebirth
Director: Luca Pizzoleo
'Seeking Rebirth' follows artist Antonio Del Prete as he creates his next masterpiece.
Still from Audition, winner of the College Narrative Grand Jury Award.
Audition
Director: Michael Kuznar
John is a washed up middle-age actor waiting nervously in a dingy hall for an audition that could salvage his career. When a younger actor with a eerie resemblance suddenly appears, John's confidence and sanity will be tested. Things are not as normal as they appear.
Still from The Beelievers, winner of the College Documentary Grand Jury Award.
The Beelievers
Director: Leah Bleich
Bees are an indicator species, the canary in a coal mine for our environment and our world. By focusing on these busy insects, we hope to provide an angle on the need to be aware of our impact on the earth, and to teach people simple steps to protect the planet.
HIgh school narrative Official Selection
Still from No Caller ID, official selection for High School Narrative.
No Caller ID
Director: Ethan Woldenberg
A man who is just trying to take a train is faced with something he never thought would ever happen.
Still from 38 Days, official selection for High School Narrative.
38 Days
Director: Anahita Amirshahi
A month after his suicide attempt, a young man counts the days as he attempts to let his emotions resurface.
Still from Puget Sound, official selection for High School Narrative.
Puget Sound
Director: Jack Nordstrom
Teenagers find inspiration to make a super 8 movie in the summer of 1980.
Still from Outsider, official selection for High School Narrative.
Outsider
Director: Clayton Horwitz
A sad teen deals with a supernatural presence outside of his house.
Still from 4242, official selection for High School Narrative.
4242
Director: Sara Eustaquio
Inspired by true events, '4242' is a cinematic interpretation of a poem written by a teenager who leaves her home country, her family and friends, to live in another country somewhere in Europe.
high school documentary official selection
Still from Winging It, official selection for High School Documentary.
Winging It
Director: Kera McGovern
A documentary about pilot Bob Ross and his passion for recreational flying.
Still from Madoka, official selection for High School Documentary.
Madoka
Director: Callahan Bracken
A piano teacher uses the arts as a method to communicate with, and heal the world around her.
Still from TRANSaction, official selection for High School Documentary.
TRANSaction
Director: Bridget Galaty
The issue of transgender rights is one that is oft discussed, but many people have not actually had the opportunity to meet or talk to a transgender person. In this documentary, we hear about the experiences of transgender high school students while wardrobe shopping.
Still from Welcome Home, official selection for High School Documentary.
Welcome Home
Director: Luke Broyles
An intimate perspective of five Vietnam veterans, after they return home.
Still from Open Your Hearts, official selection for High School Documentary.
Open Your Hearts
Director: Elliot Rico
This is an LGBTQ+ completion video from people around the world about how people in the LGBTQ+ community face a different set of problems on a daily basis.
Still from Seeking Rebirth, official selection for High School Documentary
Seeking Rebirth
Director: Luca Pizzoleo
'Seeking Rebirth' follows artist Antonio Del Prete as he creates his next masterpiece.
college narrative official selection
Still from Audition, official selection for College Narrative.
Audition
Director: Michael Kuznar
John is a washed up middle-age actor waiting nervously in a dingy hall for an audition that could salvage his career. When a younger actor with a eerie resemblance suddenly appears, John's confidence and sanity will be tested. Things are not as normal as they appear.
Still from Deceased & Co., official selection for College Narrative.
Deceased & Co.
Director: Rachel Rambaldi
It's 1932 and the Great Depression is dominating people's lives. Two witless brothers Johnny and Roger create a service for old folks who no longer want to struggle through these times.
Still from Endo, official selection for College Narrative.
Endo
Director: Michael Price
A robo-phobic man has a foul incident with his new cleaning android.
Still from Sonata at Blossom Ridge, official selection for College Narrative.
Sonata at Blossom Bridge
Director: Calvin O'Connor & Avery Herzog
Two cherry blossom samurai meet on their descending journey towards the ground and attempt to prove who is more honorable.
Still from American Zombies, official selection for College Narrative.
American Zombies
Director: Joe Bowes
A dysfunctional family of zombies sit down for dinner.
Still from Code Blue, official selection for College Narrative.
Code Blue
Director: Ashlin Halfnight
A hero traffic cop on his way to a promotion must train a loose cannon recruit.
Still from Addison, official selection for College Narrative.
Addison
Director: Wilson Kelly
When a girl fails out of college, she returns to her small home town to work at a pet store with her ex-boyfriend.
Still from Marc Chung Protects His Address, official selection for College Narrative.
Marc Chung Protects His Address
Director: Michael Chan
Marc Chung buys a gun to protect his address.
college documentary official selection
Still from Break the Jump, official selection for College Documentary.
Break the Jump
Director: Joshua Leedham
No matter how scared we are, we have to try.
Still from Dabke, official selection for College Documentary.
Dabke
Director: Dana Itani
Dabke, dancing through the generations.
Still from Faith in Vinyl, official selection for College Documentary.
Faith in Vinyl
Director: Alex Durasevic
A dive into the world of vinyl music and how it has been kept alive in through a small city record store in Lansing, MI.
Still from Meeting the Klan, official selection for College Documentary.
Meeting the Klan
Director: Molly Pelavin
A short documentary in which a young, mixed-race woman seeks out current and past members of the Ku Klux Klan, and interviews them on America, race-mixing, and White Pride.
Still from The Beelievers, official selection for College Documentary.
The Beelievers
Director: Leah Bleich
Bees are an indicator species, the canary in a coal mine for our environment and our world. By focusing on these busy insects, we hope to provide an angle on the need to be aware of our impact on the earth, and to teach people simple steps to protect the planet.