BWW Blog: Clarissa Moon - UCF Celebrates the Arts Recap: Short Film Festival

On Wednesday, April 12, UCF students showcased their short films as part of "UCF Celebrates the Arts" at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. A brief Q&A session with the filmmakers followed the event.

Here are the highlights:

In the film "Grizzly Girl," a young girl was told she could be anything, so she pursued her dream of becoming a bear. The girl dressed up in "bear clothes," gathered "bear food," and made herself a "bear cave" in her backyard. The film had a simple, clear message--pursue your dreams.

"Mirrored Canvas" told the story of an artist inspired by her Thai culture and her grandmother. The film had incredible videography and storytelling, combining shots of the artist painting with shots of her inspiration for that particular work. The film was a tribute to the filmmaker's grandmother, who was undergoing surgery when the film was in production.

A particularly moving film titled "A Traves De Ti" showed Hispanic immigrants in the back of a truck on their journey to the United States. When the vehicle was stopped by authorities, parents separated themselves from their children in order to increase their child's chances of making it across the border.

"Burp" was a romantic comedy about a man who vomited at the most romantic moments. Finally, he found a girl who found his vomiting problem funny and attractive, and eventually, his vomiting subsided.

The student filmmakers encouraged those interested in the film business to go out and make as many films as possible. They also advised budding filmmakers to surround themselves with people who support their love of filmmaking.

UCF Celebrates the Arts is done for this year, but you can keep a lookout for next year's festival at arts.cah.ucf.edu.