Film Students Capture Three Awards at Greenfield

George School film students were recognized for their work in the Greenfield Youth Film Festival, a showcase for films six minutes or shorter in length produced by high school students in the greater Philadelphia area. Julia Carrigan ’20 and Eric Guo ’21 took home first and second place in the documentary film category, and Jalsa Drinkard ’20 and Julia took the prize for the best screenplay.

Julia won the documentary category for her film Rodney Glasgow: The Power of a Whisper. Her film follows actor Jalsa Drinkard as she completes a project on a human rights defender in her community. Jalsa ends up choosing diversity activist, Dr. Rodney Gasgow and focuses her interview with him on the importance of freedom of speech. The film also won the grand prize at the Speak Truth Video Competition sponsored by Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Human Rights. and was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in May 2019.

Eric Guo ’21 received second place in the documentary category for his film Behind the Streetfoods. This short film takes you to the streets of Shenzhen China and explores the city through its street food. Eric gives his viewers a history of foods ranging from Pecking roast duck rolls to Chinese BBQ and even the first McDonalds in mainland China. As the history of the food unfolds, so does the history of the city. Judges praised the film for its storytelling and cinematography.

Another notable documentary entry was Angelic Troublemakers: Striking for the Climate by Matt McMullen ’20. The film cuts between interviews with George School students and teachers who participated in a climate march in Philadelphia and footage from the march itself. The judges praised this film for the way Matt cuts between interviews and footage of the strike.

Jalsa and Julia won the prize for best screenplay for their short film Credible. In Credible, three different students tell their version of a science experiment gone awry, with each version of events represented in a different style. Judges praised the writing and the varying approaches to recalling the same event. This style is reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa’s famed film, Rashomon.