Students Win Film Award

[Gregory Matthews]

Creative Dating Film Wins Award

April 13- A film titled Advance Preparation, submitted by students from the Paradise Academy photo and cinematography class, won the Best High School Short award at the Sonscreen Film Festival.   The 14-minute story follows a student enlisting the help of classmates to plan an excessively elaborate way of asking a girl to a banquet. Teacher Caleb Rasmussen remarked, “The students who made the film and attended Sonscreen saw that the community of Adventists who are skilled, enthusiastic filmmakers are larger than they expected. They realized that there is a path for them to pursue filmmaking as a career—including at Adventist colleges—and to use the art of film to serve God.”     Megan Taylor, whose son Adin worked on the film, enthusiastically stated, “My son has immersed himself in the class and subject. When he attended the Sonscreen event, he was surprised that filmmaking wasn’t as secular as he thought. He came back knowing a clear path by which he, as a Christian, could make community-relevant Christian.”   Junior Haiden Shoemaker, director of the film, said, “Being able to make a film in high school with the opportunity and ability to win an award at Sonscreen was amazing. The photography and cinematography class at PAA is one of the best opportunities a high schooler interested in film can take.” [With thanks to the Northern California Conference and  its publication, Northern Lights, --Gregory Matthews.]