PRHS Potent Film Festival awards students with trophies, prizes

Posted: 7:00 am, May 26, 2015 by Reporter Heather Young

Kermit King Elementary School fourth grader Kennedy Williams holds her trophy and prizes for winning Best Smartphone Produced film in the Paso Robles High School Potent Film Festival. Photo by Heather Young

The second annual Paso Robles High School Potent Film Festival was held Friday in the high school’s performing arts center. More than 75 people gathered to see the students’ videos and find out who won awards in each of the categories: Best Cinematic, Best Documentary/News Featurette, Best Animation/Stop Motion and Best Smartphone Produced.

“We have great student films tonight,” Master of Ceremonies Adam Robinson said to start off the film festival.

“I’m really excited to show these films,” Paso Robles High School teacher John Rucker said. “The students have worked very hard o make these films a reality. … They’ve done a lot of work, hard work, long hours. The students are not given enough time in class to produce a quality film, so they invest their down time.”

After reading the story in Paso Robles Daily News in March, Rucker said an anonymous donor gave $500 to be used toward prizes. With that money, Rucker was able to purchase lenses and microphones to be given to the winners along with gift certificates from Yogurt Creations, Park Cinemas and San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. Other sponsors were Paso Robles school board president Field Gibson, The Blue Printer, Albertsons and Recognition Works.

The films were judged by Beth Anderson of Arkiteck Studios in Paso Robles, John Taft of John’s Video Palace in Atascadero and Paso Robles, Ron Gallagher of Gallagher Video Services in Paso Robles, Ryan Harper of Your Half Media, Dina Mande of Juice Media and Chelsea Schmitz of Juice Media. Each film had three to six judges looking at them. All entrants will get the comments from the judges.

“It’s very important to get their input,” Rucker said. “The more we get industrial partners working with our students, the more they see what real life is about.”

There was only one entry in the Best Smartphone Produced category, which was the only open to Paso Robles school district students not in high school.

“Just because we were the only entry doesn’t mean anything about your quality of work,” Rucker said to Kennedy Williams, the winner of the Best Smartphone Produced category and a student at Kermit King Elementary School.

Williams’ aunt, Yanna Williams, saw the story on Paso Robles Daily News and told her husband about it, who is studying film at San Jose State. They then shared the contest with Kennedy Williams.

“I just thought it’d be fun,” Kennedy WIlliams said about entering the film festival. “I like making movies.”