Writer, director and editor Patrick Ginnetty ’07 capture three of the six awards presented at the third annual CineFest Fairfield at the Community Theater of Fairfield on May, 3.
The event, which is sponsored by the recently established New Media department at Fairfield University, was designed to share short films with students and community members, free of charge.
A total of six awards were presented to Fairfield University seniors and alumni, half of which were won by Ginnetty’s “Fugue.” The awards went as follow:
Best Cinematography – “Shoes” – Jared Mezzocchi ’07, Writer/Director, Scott Wagner ’04, Cinematographer
Best Writing – “Tick”- Michael Livingston ’07, Writer/Director
Best Editing – “Praying to Hendrix” – Brad Martocello ’07, Writer/Director/Editor, Stefen Piccione ’05, Writer/Director
Best Directing – “Fugue,” Patrick Ginnetty ’07, Writer/Director/Editor
Best Film – “Fugue,” Patrick Ginnetty ’07, Writer/Director/Editor
Audience Choice Award – “Fugue,” Patrick Ginnetty ’07, Writer/Director/Editor
With undergraduate classes over for the semester and a few days free before final exam nightmares begin, “Reading Days” are in full effect. While these days are for studying, everyone needs a break. For those who are not quite ready to return to their textbooks, Cinefest 2007 provides a dose of entertainment before cramming for finals begins.
Cinefest Fairfield is a film festival sponsored by the department of visual and performing arts in connection with the Fairfield Community Theatre. It features work from students, faculty and alumni of Fairfield University.
Cinefest Fairfield began three years ago when Leo Redgate, president and founder of the Fairfield Community Theatre Foundation, approached Father Mayzik head of the new media studies department for information about the University’s film program.
“From the time the Foundation began running the Community Theatre in 2001, getting youth participation and involvement has been a primary goal,” said Redgate. “I wanted kids in town to run the theatre; while I wanted to show commercial films, I wanted the theatre to have an emphasis on independent filmmaking and student films.”
Redgate said he walked into Mayzik’s office one day to inquire about the new media studies program. “What started as a casual conversation about students having an opportunity to showcase their films resulted in Cinefest Fairfield.”
The first Cinefest was held in 2005 primarily as a prelude to a New Media major, Mayzik said. “We wanted to showcase the talent of the students who deserved a major to continue developing their talent.”
Each year 20-25 students submit work and 10-12 pieces are chosen to be screened at the festival. This was implemented after more students than expected submitted work the first year. That year, the show last for more than three hours.
The featured pieces included animation, music videos, short narrative stories, comedies, dramas and even radio and audio programs of radio dramas shown in the past.
Patrick Ginnetty ’07 has a film entitled, “Fugue,” which will be shown this year.
“I submitted the script to the media center and was awarded the Pitch and Produce fellowship grant,” Ginnetty said. “The film is about a man in his 30’s who has a tendency to escape from his colorless life into the more vivid realm of fantasy. When he suffers a mental break in the form of a dissociative fugue state, he has the experience of actually living out his mind’s fantasy of a richer life. After eventually snapping out of the fugue, he must then decide which life he will live.”
While film majors and minors dominate the submissions, any student or faculty member can enter their work shown. Mayzik noted that the films don’t even have be from work done at the University.
“We look for strength in story telling abilities, directing, cinematography, editing and sound, all major components of filmmaking and television,” said Mayzik.
“I had a short film that was shown at Cinefest last year and it won Best Cinematography,” said Ginnetty. “It was quite a rush, very exciting and at the same time real scary to have your own personal thoughts and ideas revealed on a huge screen to a packed house.”
Also showing will be the much anticipated debut of the HAM channel series “The Aughts.” Another short student film, “Rough Draft,” is about two college friends who have their comedy sketch show picked up by a major television network. The situation ends up tearing their friendship apart.
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