By Karen Thumm

On Saturday, February 21, the Chaminade Film Festival showcased 26 films by Chaminade’s talented young filmmakers. The annual festival celebrates the best of Chaminade’s filmmakers with awards throughout the evening for the best films in each category and concludes with a special ceremony for outstanding achievements in every part of the filmmaking process, from having an original idea all the way through to editing. The festival is as much a celebration of the creative process as it is a celebration of the finished films, and sharing their works on the big screen with an audience of more than 250 people made for a truly special evening.

The film “Blind Ambitions” by newcomers Ryan Town ’16, Colette Mendoza ’17, Noah Hosaka ’18, and Louis Gerny ’18 swept the awards, earning the award for the best film in its category as well as special awards for the cinematographer, the editor, the actor Thanos Brunson ’16 and the composer of the original score for the film, Alex Mansour ’15. The students created the film for a class assignment in Film I and were delighted to be celebrated for their creative work.

Tom Deily ’16 was specially recognized as the Chaminade Filmmaker, an award for exceptional achievement in more than one area of filmmaking. The Chaminade Filmmaker receives a scholarship to the New York Film Academy high school program on the Universal Studios backlot this summer.

Best Comedy
“22 Chaminade Ave.”
Jake Thornhill ’15, Producer
Aaron Fury ’15, Director

Best Drama
“Alaska”
Sohela Madan ’15, writer/director

Best Narrative without Dialogue
“Blind Ambitions”
Colette Mendoza ’17, Producer
Ryan Town ’16, Director

Best Experimental Format
“Test and Recognize”
Griffin Davies ’15

Best Experimental Personal Metaphor
“Straight Line, Perfect Circle”
Chase Fury ’15

Outstanding Achievement Awards:

Original Concept Drama
Tom Deily ’16 for “Faraway”

Original Concept Experimental
Cassie Tran ’16 for “Making Waves”

Screenplay, Comedy
Vincent Bredice ’16 for “Cordially Noble Gentlemen”

Screenplay, Drama
Jake Thornhill ’15 for “Eighteen”

Cinematography
Griffin Freitas for “Ditching”

Cinematography
Aaron Fury ’15 for “Alaska”

Cinematography – special achievement in Black and White
Louis Gerny ’18 for “Blind Ambitions”

Acting
Thanos Brunson ’16 for “Blind Ambitions”
Chidi Nwajei ’15 for “Test and Recognize”

Production Design, Experimental
Griffin Davies ’15 for “Test and Recognize”

Production Design, Narrative
Sohela Madan ’15 and Rachel Scalera for “A Wonderful Unknown”

Editing
Aiden Kahn ’16 for “Nicaragua”
Cole Hanson ’17 for “Tarzana”
Noah Hosaka ’18 for “Blind Ambitions”

Original Score
Alex Mansour ’15 for “Blind Ambitions”

Directing
Aaron Fury ’15 for “Faraway”

Chaminade Filmmaker
Tom Deily ’16

Official Audience Selection
“Blind Ambitions”