And the Winners Are … BMCC Student Filmmakers

Emerging filmmakers at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) learn theory as well as experiencing first-hand, the writing, planning, shooting, editing and screening of an original film to a live audience.

This immersion in the start-to-finish aspects of filmmaking culminates each semester at a student film festival with a red-carpet vibe. Most recently, on December 10 the BMCC Cinema Arts Club presented the Fall 2023 BMCC Film Festival in Theater Two at the College’s 199 Chambers Street campus.

Documentary filmmaker and Media Arts and Technology Professor Anastassios (Tassos) Rigopoulos guided the event’s student organizers.

“Even though the festival took place on a very rainy Sunday, the audience turnout was quite satisfactory and viewers responded warmly to the students’ work,” said Professor Rigopoulos.

Three esteemed film professionals donated their time as judges for the festival.

Acclaimed cinematographer Eliana Alvarez Martinez has traveled extensively in her work, and is known for projects including a film about the small community of Cabo Pulmo in Mexico, where fishermen stopped fishing and focused on environmental protection, resulting in a remarkable transformation of the area. Eliana has also worked with the BBC to uncover unique stories and perspectives.

Recent alumni who garnered accolades at BMCC student film festivals include Carla Franchesca Robles, Renzo Esposito and Jeremiah Chaparro. Each has gone on to win awards at national and international film festivals for their documentaries that tackle economic injustice, the inhumanity of war, immigrant rights and other important issues.

The most recent student filmmakers recognized in a BMCC festival are as follows:

ACTING

Katya Pylova* for “Dutch Oven”

ANIMATION

Winner: “Brothers,” by Steven Vargas

Honorable Mentions: 3D Animation Final Project by Jessie Guerrero; “Surgery,” by Emily Montanez and “Ham’s Café,” by Rebecca Rivera

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Winner: “Hollow-Ween,” by Roberto Cohetero Flores

CLIENT-BASED FILM

Winner: “A Dog’s Mission,” by Maribel Gomez

DIRECTING

Winner: “What Really Matters,” by Ana Galvis

Honorable Mention: “Brothers,” by Steven Vargas

DOCUMENTARY

Winner: “Brushing Dreams,” by Daiane Quicine

Honorable Mention: “Hollow-Ween,” by Roberto Cohetero Flores

EDITING

Winner: “Musical Seeds,” by Becky Lamming

Honorable Mention: “What Really Matters,” by Ana Galvis

EXPERIMENTAL FILM, MONTAGE OR MUSIC VIDEO

Winner: “What Really Matters,” by Ana Galvis

FICTION

Winner: “Dutch Oven,” by Michael Schnick

THE MVRP FOUNDATION RISING STAR AWARD

Jerome Gayman

The Rising Star Award is presented at each BMCC Film Festival in memory of the late Michael Vincent Rosen Pipitone, who was a BMCC student.

SCREENPLAY

Winner: “Dutch Oven,” by Michael Schnick

Honorable Mention: “Humanity’s Quest for Improvement,” by Steve Holloway

SOUND

Winner: “Demon Battle,” by Eyron Feliciano

Honorable Mentions: “We Will Find You,” by Jacob Pohorelsky and “McDonald’s Commercial,” by Michael Schnick

“BMCC has opened doors for me to become a highly skilled filmmaker.”

Video Arts and Technology major Sofia Galvis, who won Best Director, Best Experimental Film and received Honorable Mention for Editing, says she chose BMCC “because of its outstanding program in film and television.”

Moreover, she says, “BMCC has consistently opened doors for me to become a highly skilled filmmaker. I genuinely believe that the programs and classes offered meet exceptionally high standards, preparing me for a successful future in the audiovisual industry.”

Her film involved five months of pre-production, filming and recording. “Every scene was thoughtfully planned, each shot was premeditated,” she says. “This project was executed with love, patience, passion and above all, an eye for quality.”

Galvis adds that sharing the film festival awards with her family back in Colombia, “was truly rewarding.”

“BMCC professors care more about their students, hands down.”

Video Arts and Technology major Michael Schnick took home a win in both the Fiction and Best Screenplay categories for his film “Dutch Oven,” which featured Katya Pylova, who won Best Actor. In addition, Schnick entered a McDonald’s commercial in the festival, and it garnered Honorable Mention for sound.

“I think ‘Dutch Oven’ won Best Fiction because it’s a unique concept,” he says. “It was great to be able to share my film with an audience on the big screen. It has drama, comedy and suspense, but it’s about farts. Yes, farts.”

As for why he chose BMCC, “I knew they had a good film program,” he says. “I also take film classes at The New School, and while I can say The New School might have more funding, as far as equipment goes, the BMCC professors care more about their students, hands down. It’s like night and day.”

“I feel like I’ve found a great community here at BMCC.”

Roberto Cohetero Flores, also majoring in Video Arts and Technology, chose BMCC because of its reputation for having good media arts programs, he says.

His film “Hollow-Ween” won Best Cinematography and an honorable mention in the category Documentary.

“I feel that my film was selected for these awards because of the authentic feel and visuals of Halloween,” he says. “Following my younger cousin throughout our neighborhood to capture a kid’s excitement at getting as much candy as possible was my intention, as well as to include other kids and show how differently they respond to trick or treating.”

He adds that the festival “was a great experience—seeing everyone’s works, being impressed, and inspired. I feel like I’ve found a great community here at BMCC.”

 

*not a BMCC student

Photo credit: Student volunteer and Video Arts and Technology major Valeriya Fadeyeva

Learn more about the BMCC Media Arts and Technology department, which provides three programs: Animation and Motion Graphics, Multimedia Programming and Design, and Video Arts and Technology.