Seven of the thirteen high school films selected for the South by Southwest film festival were created by Greenhill Advanced Video Production students in the first high school event since 2020. Seniors Collin Cannon, Derian Herrmann, Davis Knocke, Lucas Wang, Charlie Waldman and Noor Zaman, along with sophomore Ansh Gandhi, presented their student films on March 12 during the festival.
“It’s one of the three biggest film festivals in North America, for changing the way people think about storytelling and taste,” Middle School and Upper School video production teacher Corbin Doyle said. “And then to have 13 films juried into it, and seven being from Advanced Video Production is cool.”
Doyle believes the success this year comes from the diversity of each film, all portraying vastly different concepts. Ranging from comedy to horror, the films were crafted entirely through student-led production.
For Gandhi, his film process began with him scraping a whole script and film reel for a previous idea. As his first time directing, Gandhi said he was challenged organizing the large-scale film.
“The main challenge was finding actors, which required me to adjust a lot,” Gandhi said. “But really learning how to adapt to the circumstances and learning to overcome issues was definitely an experience.”
Gandhi ultimately finished the production of his new film in one night, putting most of his creativity into the editing process.
“When I saw I was creating something really unique, and everything was coming together, I started to see potential for film festivals,” Gandhi said.
As a sophomore and new AVP student, Gandhi says he never saw his film getting accepted into SXSW. For him, and other filmmakers, Doyle’s encouragement helped increase participation in the program.
According to Doyle, it felt natural to have students apply, especially since Greenhill had worked with SXSW for 15 years. So, after receiving a call in November about the reintroduced high school section, he insisted all students submit their films.
“I wasn’t even planning on submitting to SXSW, because I was really doubting that I would get selected to attend,” Zaman said. “So, I’m really glad [Doyle] required us to submit to the festival. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.”
While Zaman centered her film around a baker struggling with depression, Wang created an animation about the solar eclipse. These vastly different themes, according to Doyle, show the authenticity of each filmmaker.
“Each film feels radically different, and I think that goes back to the earliest days of AVP. It can’t be about me,” Doyle said.
Of the selected students, many also said Doyle’s support gave them the freedom to create unique works.
“He is very accepting of individual styles and uniqueness in a film,” Zaman said. “So, he never discourages me from doing it on my own or pushes me away from any of my ideas.”
Doyle’s approach allows each filmmaker to create something they are proud of, according to Gandhi.
Zaman says she also noticed a large disparity between girls and boys who were selected, being the only girl in [Greenhill] AVP to be chosen. Much of the process is subjective, according to Zaman, so she believes making films comes before any accolades for them.
“I honestly don’t think the amount of festivals you get into means anything about the quality of your films or you as a filmmaker,” Zaman said.
The students attended the festival in Austin from March 12-18. Their films were showcased on March 12.
In attending festivals, the students are introduced to other filmmakers like themselves, getting to make connections through their work. Additionally, being selected gave a boost of confidence for aspiring filmmakers, according to Zaman.
“I didn’t feel like my film was similar to ones that have been selected in the past, and I thought it was a mistake at first,” Zaman said. “But now I’m so glad I submitted, and I’m so grateful to be a representative for the girls in AVP at SXSW.”
