Review: Warwick Filmmakers’ Showcase

Why would anybody want to watch student-made films? Student films have neither the budget nor the technique of the films we are used to watching on television or cinemas. The camera is a bit too shaky, the acting a bit too flimsy, the lighting a bit too dark to be realistic.

It is precisely with these thoughts that I attended the Warwick Filmmakers’ Showcase that was held on campus last Thursday. I had my fair share of apprehensions, after the tales I’d heard of the not-so-smooth running of the previous showcases. Are the films this year really going to be any better?

To see a group of youngsters pour their heart and soul into an idea that would in all probability be buried under the rubble of their university lives, is admirable.

I have to admit, I was fairly surprised by the amazing performance that was delivered. Yes, I said ‘performance’. Because, the event was much more than a bland screening of student-made films. It stayed true to its name, and was indeed a showcase. Having had brief access to their behind-the-scenes activities, I could see their meticulously planned effort come to fruition.

Programme for Warwick Filmmakers’ Showcase 2016

Humour is the key to any man’s (or woman’s) heart, and the organisers very well knew that. The host’s slow sarcastic roast (and half naked strip) interjected with interruptions by Warwick Improv Theatre Society was alone worth the entry fee. The highlight of their performance was when Hasan, a filmmaker, joined in with the improvised act to deliver one of the most hilarious moments of the night. Their performances kept the audience on their toes throughout the show.

However, the question of the hours is “why on earth are student films important”? In the course of the show, I did come up with several answers to that one essential question.

The film presented was widely varied: some comical, some emotional, some thought-provoking, some simply confusing. The audience’ choice of the night dealt with complex topics such as memory and death, while the critic’s choice was a colourful display of sisterhood.

But one thing they were not was commercialised. If you’re tired of narratives that simply want to sell a story to their audience, this is the place to come to. To see a group of youngsters pour their heart and soul into an idea that would in all probability be buried under the rubble of their university lives, is admirable. The originality and complexity of the ideas in these films, though not executed perfectly, brought into light the fresh minds that could contribute tremendously to the film industry.

By creating a microcosmic festival in our campus bubble, they’ve made these films more accessible for us

The evening concluded with the heart-warming message that student films are not perfect, just like almost all other student art performances, but they are more commendable than any polished Oscar show. I personally believe, in the spirit of pure student camaraderie, that it is our duty to encourage these wonderful minds in their grand endeavour to simply do what they love.

The Filmmakers’ Showcase has already paved a way for us to appreciate these films; by creating a microcosmic festival in our campus bubble, they’ve made these films more accessible for us. All we have to do now is choose to take the path they’ve painstakingly carved for us.