O’NEALS – Minarets students took home a total of three awards at the Slick Rock Film Festival this year, including Best of Show.
Slick Rock Film Festival, now in its 12th year, is the largest student film festival between Merced and Bakersfleid.
This year the festival had over 400 submissions, with 200 making the Premiere cut, which means the were screened at the Visalia Fox Theater last month. Minarets had 26 films screened at the festival of the 33 it submitted. Ten films made the the final five, which means they were nominated for an award in their category. This is the third consecutive year that Minarets has won at least one Slick Rock.
Seniors Dereck Taylor and Crystal Miller won best Original Song Video for Crystal’s “Innocence.” The film finds a girl struggling to grow up and deal with oncoming adulthood.
Shelby Mikkelsen, a Senior at Minarets High school, won Best Commercial for her ad for Cool Bean Cafe in Oakhurst. Shot entirely by Shelby with help from Sakoya Hart, the film is warm and comforting, just like the business it promotes.
Eric Ham, a Junior at Minarets Charter won Best of Show for his film, “The Road Goes Ever On,” filmed in Yosemite National Park as a beautiful interpretation of the J.R.R. Tolkien poem of the same name, set to original music.
The Media department at Minarets was started by Jon Corippo.
Patrick Wilson has been the Media teacher for the last four years, before becoming the Charter Director of the school.
Mr. Juan Ortiz took over the media program in January.
The Slick Rock Student Film Festival was launched in 2002 by Visalia Unified School District with the support of many community and technology partners. Tulare County Office of Education is proud to carry on the tradition, administering the festival under the direction of the Choices prevention programs.
“Slick Rock engages students in a positive and rewarding activity,” say organizers. “By fostering creativity, the Festival produces the skills students will need to compete in a global economy. The project-based competition requires students to produce a video in a variety of genres for real-world audiences, leading them to interact with the local community.
More information about the Slickrock Film Festival
