Culpeper’s young filmmakers

Jeff Walker
Published: July 15, 2008

Today I complete my series on some of the unsung young people I’ve had the pleasure to know.

As film festivals go, mine is among the newest, and the least famous.

The international Festival de Cannes (Cannes Film Festival) was established in 1946. It is the “crème de la crème” of cinema, so to speak. America also has Robert Redford’s Sundance Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival, founded by Robert De Niro.

And then there’s the third annual Walker Festival of Short Films, established in 2006.

The real title of the festival is “Advanced Drama’s Final Project,” and it started three years ago when a group of exceptional eighth-graders handed in a DVD.

“Bankrupt” was a 25-minute, tightly scripted and enthusiastically acted out story of a teenage party that turns into a murder mystery. Written and directed by Andrew Hebert, “Bankrupt” also featured the talents of Brandi Azais, Heather Curry, Ben Eden, Chris Frazier, Hailey Ratliff and Madison Trout. Most of this group has continued making videos on their own, and I’ve even heard talk of a remake of their first effort.

I have continued the tradition of the final film project and the instructions remain the same: Tell a well-crafted story using video as the medium.

Space limitations being what they are, I won’t be able to recount all the projects I received this year. Here are the highlights:

n Honorable Mention — “The Decider,” written and starring Ben Allen. Ben, Culpeper Middle School’s No. 1 history buff, produced a film in which he impersonated the current president (aka The Decider) and staged a press conference in which he uses George W. Bush’s own words as the answers.

n Honorable Mention — “The Cabin,” featuring Hillary Ratliff, Justine Hauge, Rachel Cowgill, Devin McCallum, Alex Gasteazoro and a host of guest performers. Another teens-in-distress suspense film, “The Cabin” was blessed with an actual cabin as the perfect setting.

The suspense factor was killed, so to speak, when the sound on their video died, so they turned their video into a comedy. (For the record, I told the group they had the makings of a nice thriller.)

n Silver Prize (or “Grand Prix” at Cannes) — “Channel Surfing,” featuring Alli Fisher, Brooke Malloy, Devin McCallum, Matthew Revis, and Tyler Cooper. “Channel Surfing” clicks through a variety of episodes, with the small ensemble cast inhabiting the different channels, in the style of a sketch comedy show.

They portray a cooking channel, a shopping channel, a TV psychologist, an Australian animal dude, and even the Teletubbies and Hannah Montana appear. Here they come, Saturday Night Live, in another 10 years.

n Gold Prize (Cannes calls it “Palm d’Or”) — “A Day in the Life of Patrick,” by Patrick Kyle, Adam Jordan, Madeline Wheeler, Nick Coladonato, and Zach Stull. (Josh Dodge helped out and Mrs. Stacey Jordan was the driver.) Filmed on location in downtown Culpeper, “A Day in the Life of Patrick” is touching, funny and downright brilliant. What makes it even more remarkable is that these young filmmakers created a silent film, using only acting, and clever camera work.

The music of “Panic at the Disco” enhances the feeling of the video.

The story of a hapless young man finding his way through an indifferent city and making the most of his life is simple, yet effective.

I can’t wait to find out how these students use their creativity and energy as they move into high school and tackle new challenges.

By the way, it is my pleasure to become a weekly columnist. I plan on featuring exceptional youth at least once a month, on the fourth Wednesday.

If you know of any young people who deserve recognition, please let me know, especially ones who have not been singled out before.

I look forward to learning more about them.

Jeff Walker is an independent columnist who lives in Culpeper. He appears Wednesdays in the Star-Exponent. E-mail