Film students at the University of Memphis hold a festival to showcase their best work of the year. Except, it is a private, unpublicized event known as Focus Fest.
Sophomore film and video production student, Alex Woodruff, 20, said he did not know anything about Focus Fest until he heard about it from a professor.
“I have friends in the music department whose events get extremely publicized. The film students should get just as much publicity,” Woodruff said. “We are a part of this campus as much as other student groups.”
Woodruff’s student film, Googly Eyes, is in Focus Fest.
“I think we need publicity,” Woodruff said. “Advertising our festival will benefit people knowing about our department. I mentioned it to my friends and none of them knew about it.”
Each year students are assigned by professor David Appleby of the film and video department to form a committee to host this event.
“It’s not a public event because a public screening can only use material where copyright has been cleared,” Appleby said. “All images would have to be cleared, all music, sound effects and that’s an unfair onus on beginning students.”
Students running Focus Fest do not publicize beyond putting up posters in the art, theatre and music buildings with submission guidelines. They also decide which films get in and which do not.
“It’s an extension of the classroom,” Appleby said.
Appleby said if Focus Fest required copyright to be cleared, it would leave out all the students who don’t have the time and resources to do so. He said it would be an unfair burden.
“Students are working hard enough just to come up with a story, get it shot, to make it work,” Appleby said. “We all know how very important music is to make something work.”
Woodruff said that if Focus Fest required copyright material to be cleared, it would be worth it so more people could see student films each year.
“I’ve permission to use the music I have in my film as long as I give the artist credit in the video,” Woodruff said. “I have permission of the actors to enter the film into the festival too, but it’s not in writing.”
Senior film and video production student, Jay Riales, 22, said he sees the pros and cons of making Focus Fest require copyright clearance.
“I think students should have free roam to experiment,” Riales said. “But, it creates a more creative mindset if you are restricted. You either get try to get the copyright or find another way.”
Appleby said Focus Fest in the past has been held in restaurants, Beale Street, and other small venues. Currently, it is held on a large movie theatre screen.
“These classes are about filmmaking, not about clearing rights, but we don’t hide the fact,” Appleby said. “Graduates doing semester projects, almost all the material is cleared. They have to clear it because they are planning to show those projects outside the university.”
One student of the Focus Fest committee would not comment for concern coverage of the festival might have a negative affect.
“This is the closest we can come without violating copyright law,” Appleby said. “It’s simply an end of the year celebration of film students to share their work with each other.”
