By The biggest student movie festival is coming to Long Beach to give students the opportunity to create short films and broadcast their work to the world.
The Campus Movie Festival, the largest student film festival in the world, is coming to Long Beach State to give the next generation of filmmakers an opportunity to tell their stories.
This year, students must make a movie based on the theme “implies hope and change to the world.” The participants must construct a movie clip five minutes or less, with a message that inspires change such as climate, poverty and homelessness over the course of one week.
“This event has given multiple students opportunities to jump start their career and channel their creativity,” said Jacquetta Moss, tour manager of CMF.
CMF will launch Tuesday, Oct. 23 from noon to 5 p.m. in the University Student Union Lobby.
The festival was organized by four students attending Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 2001 and tours 14 campuses all over the country.
The students had an idea to give their classmates equipment to shoot a short film in a week and were able to find sponsors that would cover the expenses.
“I founded this festival with 10 other colleagues,” said one of the founders, David Roemer. “The opportunities students have are limited, so we did this to open doors for students who would like to pursue a career in this industry.”
The event is free for all students and welcomes students from any major . The writer, director and editor of the film must be an enrolled student at a college being toured during the time.
“I never knew anything about the Campus Movie Festival and I’ve been going to this school for two years already,” undeclared sophomore Josh Garcia said. “I like movies so I would be totally open to see the documentaries of others for free.”
To participate, students must attend the first informational meeting on Monday, Oct. 22 in the USU Room 205 from 5-7 p.m. Students can expect free food and information about guidelines, rules and regulations.
During the launch event, students will be given equipment such as cameras, tripods and video recorders, if needed. If students wish to use CMF’s equipment, they must bring two forms of identification, including their student ID.
The festival offers many awards and perks to the filmmakers including the opportunity to have their five-minute clip played on Virgin American Airlines flights.
Over the years, some students have won over $2 million in prizes and cash.
Movie submissions are due Monday, Oct. 29, in the USU Room 205 between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. If any last minute adjustments are needed, the video manager at the event will assist students.
For more information and to watch previous films over the years, visit the CMF site for more details.
