Student Short Film Showcase Sunday at Nickelodeon

The Columbia Jewish Film Festival is in full swing Sunday with two events at Nickelodeon.

The red carpet will be out to welcome the winning filmmakers in the Student Short Film Showcase of the Columbia Jewish Film Festival, who will arrive for a screening of their films.

Later in the day, Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative, a partnership of Historic Columbia, is sponsoring “Once in a Lifetime,” a film about Holocaust education. The film will be screened at 5 p.m. Sunday. After the film, there will be talk-back panel of local educators to discuss the impact Holocaust education has on South Carolina students.

“Historic Columbia strives to document and share local history in a dynamic and inclusive way,” said Robin Waites, Historic Columbia’s executive director.

“We chose to sponsor the film ‘Once in a Lifetime’ because it illustrates the transformative power that history can have on youth. In this case, once they are exposed to the very dark and disturbing stories of the Holocaust they ultimately are able to connect with their past, their community and each other.”

In the earlier event, student filmmakers, with diverse backgrounds and experiences, were asked to create a short film with the theme “Identity: It's All About Me!”. They were told to explore the theme in a way that would promote dialogue while addressing issues that are in the forefront of today’s headlines.

At 3 p.m. Sunday, the young filmmakers will be showcased. The winning filmmakers from the student contest will walk the red carpet at the Nickelodeon where their films will be presented.

There also will be screenings of two other short films: “The Making of a Mensch” and “What's in a Name?” All the screenings are free and open to the public.

“There is a wealth of talent with the young media makers in our community,” said Patty Tucker, one of the festival organizers. “Some things that set the Jewish Film Festival student film competition apart are the themes or prompts given to the filmmakers.

“Providing exhibition spaces for young media makers is important to the mission of the Nickelodeon and the Columbia Jewish Film Festival. Developing strong communication, critical thinking, problem solving and public speaking skills are all a part of making a short film and talking about it afterward.”