Maryland Film Maker's Club
Updated: Jul 7, 2021
Written by Jasmin Dixon Photos by Natasha Magino
Spring marks a new time for many people, with warm weather, spring cleaning and longer days. On the University of Maryland, College Park campus, it’s “go time” for a special group of students as they write scripts and prep scenes for the Spring 2019 Film Festival. The Maryland Filmmakers Club is full of ambitious creatives making a mark on the filmmaking world. The club is open to all students interested in producing, directing, filming, acting, or editing film. Curated by students, for students.
On May 9th, The Vibe Room team attended the Festival -- a monumental event occurring each year giving students the opportunity to showcase their screenplays. Of 28 pitches, 13 films were selected to be featured.
As we walked closer to the Hoff Theater entrance, a buzzing chatter grew louder. We turned the corner to see over fifty people anticipating the theater doors opening. A red carpet was rolled out for the night and a photographer snapped everyone's best angles. Students, friends and family gathered to watch two hours worth of featured films and an exciting awards ceremony. Ten categories from “Best Picture” to “Best Editing” were voted on by a board of judges including our very own Co-founder, Natasha Magino.
University of Maryland, College Park. Maryland Filmmakers Club provides a taste of professional film making to all students by allowing them to work hands on with other students creating short films.
“I am grateful for the space and community that this place has given me, and I'm sure you guys feel the same,” said UMD Film Club President Maud Acheampong as she kicked off the festival. Four year member, Daniela Gomes joined the introduction and spoke about her Maryland Filmmakers experience. “I started off as an actor and I've seen so many people grow throughout this film process,” Daniela said. “We start out in whatever major and doing film in this club and realizing that they actually are filmmakers and they want to pursue this and can pursue this...It is very beautiful to see you all create films and grow.”
There were films that made the audience laugh while there were others that sparked imagination. Each screenplay was unique and filmed with such detail that they were standing ovation worthy. At the Maryland Filmmakers Spring 2019 Film Festival, everyone is a star and no screenplay goes unnoticed. The festival is all about creating a unique space and community for young filmmakers to support each other and learn together.
You can watch featured films from the Spring 2019 Film Festival on their YouTube channel, Maryland Filmmakers Club.