Opening night, Friday, Sept. 19, kicks off with a red carpet gala at Whittier College’s Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts. Attendees can expect live entertainment and special guests like actors Robert Carradine, Mark Hamill, Patrick Warburton, and Carolyn Hennesy. Highlights of the weekend include an appearance by comedian Paul Rodriguez and panels with local politicians, as well as a free community street festival on Saturday in Uptown Whittier.
Theatre, Film and Communication Arts Department Chair Jennifer S. Holmes is enthusiastic about the opportunity to collaborate with the city and the film festival. “I am very grateful for President Kristine Dillon’s willingness to utilize the beautiful Shannon Center for the Performing Arts at the College for the film festival’s gala. It promises to be entertaining and dynamic.”
Film Professor Patti McCarthy will screen Carlos Through the Tall Grass — a feature crewed in part by Whittier students — on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Starlight Cinema in Uptown Whittier. Tickets are $5.
“Carlos holds a special place in my heart,” McCarthy said. “I wanted to produce the film and get my Whittier College students involved the first time I read the script. So many of our students share the same experience as Carlos, a first-generation Latino high school student who is having a hard time deciding whether to go to college or stay home to help his family and the friends who depend on him. Carlos is truly a love letter to the entire Whittier community, and we are thrilled to celebrate and showcase the talent of our film students at the Whittier Film Festival.”
For student filmmakers, the event is a real-world platform to learn, connect, and contribute. Multiple Poets have been lending a hand to make operations run smoothly, including screening and judging submissions. Fourth-year film and theater student Meredith Lee has watched multiple films in different mediums and genres over the past few weeks.
“I really wanted to get more experience specifically in the field of film criticism,” Lee said. “It was fun to watch a lot of different submissions from around the world. There were films from Ukraine, India, and Pakistan. It was a wide variety not just in terms of genre, but also culturally.”
Fellow fourth-year Cielo Valenzuela-Lara also judged submissions, and she hopes to participate as an ambassador or volunteer during the festival, too.
“As a commuter student, I don't always get a chance to immerse myself within the community, but this festival has allowed me to meet people interested in the field of filmmaking and people who are already out making their unique ideas,” Valenzuela-Lara said.
Additionally, the festival will showcase work from individual Whittier College student filmmakers, such as Valenzuela-Lara.
“I’m excited to put my name out there so folks can see what I can create, and I can’t wait to see what else was made by the other filmmakers,” Valenzuela-Lara said. “Film is a collaborative field and a team effort, so this is a chance to get to meet people, be inspired by them, and build meaningful relationships on a more personal level.”
To learn more about the festival and buy tickets, visit WhittierFilmFestival.com.
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