A group of Utah high school students, led by an Oxford alumnus, is hoping the movie they made will be selected for screening during the world famous Sundance Film Festival in January.
‘I don’t know many adults, let alone high school kids, that have ever submitted to the Sundance Film Festival, so it’s a pretty big deal,? said Anthony Cilli, a 1998 OHS graduate.
Cilli teaches art, design and filmmaking at Pinnacle High School, part of Pinnacle Canyon Academy, a K-12 public charter school in Price, Utah. Students in his filmmaking class made a sci-fi comedy short film that spoofs many of geekdom’s most beloved movies, television shows, video games and comic books.
‘We tried to have a little wink, a little nod toward each of these fandoms that my kids are interested in,? Cilli said.
Entitled ‘Sci-Fi Flick,? the 42-minute movie takes place on Halloween and tells the hilarious tale of a small band of friends who, through a series of events, mutate into their favorite fictional characters, complete with special powers, then do battle with hordes of hungry zombies, plus invading aliens.
For example, there’s one kid dressed up as a Jedi knight from ‘Star Wars? who becomes endowed with the mystical powers of the Force. Another kid becomes a wizard from ‘Lord of the Rings.?
Cilli, who started Pinnacle’s filmmaking class three years ago, said the movie is 100 percent student-made.
‘They wrote the entire script, acted in it, filmed it, edited it. They did the special effects. They made their own props and costumes,? he said. ‘They did an incredible job.?
Students Kayden Fish and Othen Motte directed and produced it.
The film represents quite an investment of time and effort.
‘We started literally the first day of school last year at the end of August. We did our final edit in mid-May,? Cilli said. ‘It took us the entire school year, working everyday on it.?
Student involvement wasn’t just limited to the filmmaking class. More than 200 Pinnacle students in grades 6-12 participated as extras in the film.
‘They all got dressed as zombies,? said Cilli, who noted the students hail from Utah’s rural, western mining communities including Castle Dale in Emery County and Castle Gate in Carbon County.
Pinnacle Canyon Academy only has about 600 to 700 students. ‘It’s pretty small,? Cilli said. ‘Our average graduating class is around 30 students.?
Cilli and his class won’t know until December if their flick will be shown at the 32nd Annual Sundance Film Festival, which is the premier showcase for U.S. and international independent films.
‘There are thousands of films submitted to Sundance,? he said. ‘We’re up against real Hollywood icons that are spending millions of dollars. I think our whole budget was maybe $200 or $300.?
Whether or not the movie is selected for the festival, Cilli feels his class accomplished its mission.
‘Our real goal was to prove that we could do it,? he said. ‘It’s something the kids can put on their resumes and be proud of. For the rest of their lives, they’re going to be able to say, ‘I made a film that was submitted to the Sundance Film Festival.??
They want to encourage and inspire their filmmaking peers from around Utah and across the nation to take a chance and send their original work to Sundance.
‘We’re hoping that other high schools will take notice,? Cilli said. ‘If a small charter school in Podunk, Utah can do it, then they can do it, too. If you have enough determination and willpower, you can make a film and submit (it) to the Sundance Film Festival and who knows??
When the movie was shown at a local theater in Utah back in May, Cilli said, ‘It got a really good response.?
‘We had upwards of 200 to 300 people in the theater that saw it that day, most of (whom) were extras in the film,? he said. ‘They loved it. They were laughing and clapping. Everybody was just ecstatic to see the finished product.?
‘I’m very proud of my students,? Cilli noted.
Cilli admitted he doesn’t think it’s very likely the movie will make the cut for Sundance, given the high-level of competition. ‘But there are other opportunities for us,? he noted.
For example, it’s going to be submitted to a film festival for Utah high school students.
For Cilli, making the film wasn’t just about the chance to enter festivals or receive accolades. His reward came from watching his students learn, grow and overcome challenges.
‘I loved those aha moments ? when we were up against some huge problem that we couldn’t figure out, then we put our heads together and figured it out,? he said. ‘To see that (look of) pride (on the students? faces) is so fulfilling.?
Cilli is grateful to Cecilia Gabel, his art teacher at OHS, for the positive influence she exerted in his younger days.
‘She was definitely an inspiration for me to pursue education,? he said. ‘She really supported my art. I definitely want to give her a big shout-out.?