A cinematic experience that included deranged Christmas elves, thesis due dates, and people sharing beautiful memories, the Made in East Tennessee film screening drew a large crowd to Real to Reel Theatre on Tuesday night.
The event, which has been going on for six years now, included nine short films that included both documentaries and narratives made by students in classes in the RTVF program at ETSU.
Among the night’s participants was recent ETSU graduate Jake Burbage. His films, “Nine” and “Hopeless Redeemer,” were both featured in the festival.
“Nine” is a documentary about a woman and her experience hiking the Appalachian Trail and “Hopeless Redeemer” is a narrative short film about an isolated man.
Burbage sees the festival as beneficial to the students of the program because it provides a confidence boost to students who are about to enter a business in which it can be hard to get recognition. He said it’s a really cool experience just to get to show one’s films to an audience that really want to watch it.
“It’s something small and local that a lot of students are really proud to be a part of,” Burbage said.
Burbage took home the Operation Live Life Inspiration award for “Nine” and the Best in Show award for “Hopeless Redeemer.”
The Best in Show award, presented by ETSU professor Rusty Sheridan, was also granted to student Stephen Jansen for his documentary, “Colors.” The Best in Show award also comes with an automatic entry into the PUSH! Film Festival in October that takes place in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia.
Along with the films, the festival included a silent auction which consisted of donated items such as a cake from Blackbird Bakery, gift cards to Yee Haw Brewery and MidCity Grill, season tickets for the Mary B. Martin School for the Arts and many other items. The proceeds from the auction along with ticket sales funded the Tom Headley Student Production Award.
Made in East Tennessee Awards Winners
@Oplivelife Inspiration Award
Jake Burbage and Josh Still, “Nine”
Best in Show
Stephen Jansen, “Colors”
Jake Burbage, “Hopeless Redeemer”
Made in East Tennessee Audience Award
Johnny Hayes, “Lucky Penny”
The Starving Artist Award
MacKenzie Schaffner, “Creep”
Tom Headley Student Production Award
Kelsey Tweed, “Bibo”
Johnny Hayes, “Lucky Penny”
Other filmmakers and films featured in Made in East Tennessee: David Floyd, “Due Date”; Stephen Jansen, “Eureka!”; and Kristy Smith and Gabe Hobbs, “Terminal Termination 4.”
