Student filmmaker has two films accepted as 2018 Official Selections
Molly Smith, a student at Montverde Academy, has had two films accepted into the All American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF), the largest high school film competition in the United States. “Finding Home” and “I Don’t Know” will be screened during festival events hosted at the AMC Theater in Times Square in October.
Molly Smith, a junior, is a talented, award-winning artist. Earlier this year her screenplay, “Words to Speak, Stories to Tell,” won the Nellie and Fred Chasin Screenwriting Award at the Palm Beach International Film Festival’s Student Showcase of Films (SSOF), the largest student film competition in Florida. She has revised that screenplay to become the moving short film “I Don’t Know.” The film highlights her writing ability with gripping spoken word segments delivered by actor Samuel Isiah Hunter in a compelling portrayal. Additionally, the original music of the film was composed by Allison Fitzgerald, a talented senior in the Montverde Academy Music Conservatory program.
“Finding Home,” has earned another chance to be viewed, this time in New York, after being nominated as a Top Three Finalist in the documentary category at SSOF. This film features three students who share their unique stories and experiences to inspire others. Smith also partnered with Fitzgerald to compose the original score for the documentary.
“I am so proud to have films screened at the festival, and that the Academy’s media arts group is taking a trip to NYC to be a part of the festival as well,” said Molly. “These were two difficult projects that I am excited to watch on the big screen. I think that through listening to others’ stories we realize that while we are all different, by sharing stories we can inspire and support each other.”
“Molly has a keen ear that serves her well as she translates emotional experiences to spoken words and film,” said Jay Cates, Director of Media Arts. “She has technical ability paired with creative capacity to compose compelling films that draw her audiences in. We are very proud of her accomplishments and look forward to seeing her films in New York.”
The AAHSFF is a juried competition that presents more than $400,000 in prizes and scholarships to students. Industry professionals judge the submissions and present the awards at the Teen Indie Awards hosted on October 6, 2018, at Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York.
