Fear. It permeates our being. It takes over our minds. And if you were at the Seattle University Filmmakers Club’s fall film festival, “Silver Scream,” it may never leave you again.
This Monday, Seattle University’s Filmmakers Club hosted its first film festival of the year: Silver Scream. Throughout October, six groups came together to write, film and produce six unique short films for everyone to view in one night. This season’s festival centered around the central theme of perception. Whether through memory, found footage or premonitions, each group utilized their talents and skills to bring forth a night of scares, screams and laughter.
“You’re given one of the topics to focus around,” Event Coordinator Alec Douglas stated. “And then you brainstorm. You have two weeks to come up with the concept, film it, edit it, everything.”
Though it may seem like a time crunch, some groups completed their films within a matter of days. Once the films were completed and submitted, they were compiled into a supercut for viewing ease.
With that, the lights dimmed, the crowd hushed, and the Silver Scream film festival began.
The first film of the night let its setting carry the horror ambiance. The film focused on an intruder in Seattle University’s 1103 building, known for its former status as a mortuary. Flashing lights, static and slamming doors that locked all conveyed the presence of a ghost that went unnoticed by the singular protagonist. The audience was left to watch as the ghostly presence closed in on the protagonist, only for their life to be claimed at the end.
The second film presented a group of friends wandering through the library. Throughout, they bump into bookshelves and stumble over stools, disturbing the silence. The commotion causes a strange entity to follow them, hunting them down as their screams echo through the library.
The third film featured the narrative of a vampire hunter, eliminating his prospective targets at a party one by one. The actor voiced over the film, chronicling his thought process and reasoning for his actions. While still thrilling, the juxtaposition between what was narrated and what was shown on screen created a hilarious satire, reminiscent of cult classic, “American Psycho.”
Delving deeper into the concept of found footage, the fourth film details a mysterious kidnapper on campus, causing the disappearance of multiple students. A group of friends wonders what happened to their fourth friend. Going through her phone they find footage of her vlogs, all with their main suspect hidden in the background.
Inspired by the theme of perception, the fifth film follows two friends trying to recall the events of a crazy night of alcohol and fun after the disappearance of their third roommate. To add to the horror element, they included CGI monsters and comical violence as their twisted tales get more and more convoluted.
The final film of the night was produced together by the officers of the Filmmakers Club.
“One of my other officers insisted on the idea of making it tarot themed,” Tahina Tomaszek, president of the Filmmakers Club, recalled. “So I was very excited over the idea and then I myself pitched a very scary dream that I had a couple weeks ago.”
Tomaszek played both the protagonist and antagonist. The film follows a college student who receives a strange tarot reading, and is later trapped in the library with a terrifying uncanny valley-esque clone of herself. As Tomaszek runs through the library, trying to escape, time loops and resets in an odd whirlwind of events, just like a dream.
With the officer’s film, the night ended. As students shuffled home into the night chattering excitedly about the films, a tangible excitement drifted through the cold October air.
Julia Chou, financial officer of the Filmmakers Club, encouraged anyone interested to join.
“This club is welcome for anyone whether or not they’re a film major, anyone interested in film can come to see and check us out. You don’t have to be a part of the filmmaking process to come and watch, and we have events throughout the year,” she said
Anyone interested in participating or watching these short films can participate in the club’s winter and spring festivals. If you’re interested in checking out the club, the next meeting is Nov. 11 in the Bannan 107 Auditorium.
