Imagine a film festival crowd, now subtract the word "crowd" and low and behold you have the fourth annual SCSU student film showcase.

"I wish I would've started advertising earlier," Tiffany Williams, University Programming Board film committee organizer and advertising minor said. Williams estimated that 50 fliers were distributed announcing the event starting in mid-February.

However, to most these announcements were difficult to find, which would explain the dismal turnout.

More disturbing than the turnout was the distribution of the event's doorprizes. Of the 25 people who attended the event, one fourth were members of the UPB film committee and a few others were members of UPB in other areas according to Williams. When the drawing took place after the event only Williams and her adviser abstained , resulting in a member of the film committee winning the grand prize, a DVD player donated by Sears.

"I made sure that everything was fair," Williams said, apparently not understanding the questionable practice of including the organizing committee in the drawing.

Not everyone agreed.

"That's just not acceptable," student filmmaker Ben Pluimer said.

What is sad about these disappointing circumstances is that they don't do justice to the quality of films screened at the event, or do justice to the burgeoning SCSU film culture.

Although there wasn't a formal division of works into categories, two distinct types arose from the films submitted. Long-winded experimental collaborations of poetry, imagery and music... and everything else.

Taking on the second category first, the films of third-year student Ben Pluimer stand out to say the least.

"Exalted Souls," an eight minute narrative adaptation of a chapter from Chuck Palahniuk's "Survivor" would win notice if not for the committees "we don't feel qualified to judge" stance on the event. This quick episodic jaunt details the book's protagonist Tender collecting flowers from the mausoleum of his latest victim. Due to a similar number in the phone book, Tender receives phone calls from suicidal men and women thinking they've called a suicide helpline. Tender's advice: "Do it, kill yourself."

The film captures the machine gun delivery of the book and its tricky style and atmosphere, yet maintains the ability to stand on its own and doesn't confuse those who have not read the book.

The second film that was screened by Pluimer was an eight minute documentary following the infamous St. Cloud Superman entitled "That Superman Guy." The best crowd response was earned by this film which skillfully allowed the caped crusader to hang himself with his quick temper and mindless rants about freedom and justice.

In the film's most successful passage, Pluimer intercuts a long rambling dialogue about the American way and how Superman became a superhero with a disturbing shot of him screaming at a young woman. One of the results of the festival's shortcomings is that this documentary won't reach a larger audience who would be interested in seeing the story of our disturbing street corner mascot.

Another narrative film worthy of mention is Shawn Lewis' "A Conscious View," an equally suspenseful and campy thriller following the surreal journey of an insomniac through a graveyard, an empty train and other haunted locations. The comedic short "The Pursuit of Love" and the absurd "Bus" by Brian Prom also show promise.

To address briefly the aforementioned first category of films, I will highlight "Harmonic Resonance," by Kien Kiong Yeo, a definite standout. The film makes good use of techniques that it shares with similar films "A Beauty in Disgrace," "Vision de Lune," and "Gen Debt Playing with Plastics," such as wandering abstract camera work, ambient sound and evocative poetry. A separate piece could be devoted to describing this interesting collaborative art, but to summarize: these films represent a genre that is never seen through mainstream channels, and those who weren't present missed out on an experience. This much can be said about the event overall.

http://www.universitychronicle.com/ Issue date: 3/31/03 Section: Diversions