Meet the Atlanta Student Film Festival
What is your why?
Why do you bother doing the things that you do? Really, why?
Do you truly enjoy doing them, or do you think of them as mere stepping stones towards your future?
If your why is absent from all these things, it’s like running aimlessly while exhausting your fuel tank. So…
Where are you going? And, Why?
That was the question our Atlanta Student Film Festival (ASFF) founding team had to address when we established in January 2020. This question wasn’t leaving any time soon. Shortly after we started our organization, we were unwittingly walking on a semi-frozen lake as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic began to take its place in the world.
Our original mission statement was to provide a platform for student filmmakers from all over the world to showcase their work. We had envisioned ASFF as the bridge for student filmmakers and industry professionals to establish meaningful connections. We were and still are For Students, By Students! We understood the level of commitment that filmmaking requires, but also the thrills and the sense of accomplishment that comes at the end of a production. That’s because, before we came together as the organizing team behind ASFF, we were student filmmakers ourselves!
Our first festival was to be held in April, and we had about 100 people register for their tickets on the first day of sale! Unfortunately, as the entire world abruptly transitioned into an indoor, online platform, our first festival was delayed. After months of online meetings with our internal team, external organizations, and advisors, we hosted our first festival as a virtual premiere in December 2020.
As 2020 approached its end, we all had the bittersweet experience of watching our’s and our filmmakers’ hard work on the TV screens in our living room. Reflecting back to our first festival run, we knew that part of our mission statement was not fulfilled — to become the bridge in fostering connections between our student filmmakers and industry professionals. We planned for our in-person festival experience to carry out that second half of our vision.
But with the global pandemic ongoing, we knew that we had to revise our mission statement to fit both the current situation and our team’s reach.
The importance of Why is that it provides direction like a compass, it induces a plan like a map, it measures how well we’ve met our goals like a gauge, and it builds a structure for our paths like stepping stones! Because both expected and unexpected events are prone to happen, we need to be asking ourselves that same question time and time again. That way, we can ensure ourselves that we’re running on the right track.
It’s perfectly normal to fix up your mission statements or vision, because we are visionaries with ever-expanding dreams. Like plants, we grow to become beautiful fruits and flowers, and it only makes sense for our visions to grow alongside us. Our visions aren’t limited to how we first envisioned, but rather where we believe is the best place for full bloom. With that said, growth requires all the beautiful and ugly experiences we go through. It gets easy to get lost in each individual high and low, so in order to prevent ourselves from being led astray, we must ask ourselves…
Where are we going? And Why?
Thank you for reading the first ever publication by the Atlanta Student Film Festival! We hope to spread awareness of our platform, so we can reach even more student filmmakers, film industry experts, and film enthusiasts!
We’d also like to share some of our thoughts and advice for those interested in learning more about our experience as an organizer for the Atlanta Student Film Festival!
Keep scrolling down to see our responses!
George Wang | Executive Director
“Hi! I’m George and I’m the Executive Director of ASFF. I oversee all transactions and decisions for the film festival, make sure that we put on the best show possible year in and year out, and stay true to our mission as an organization.
My favorite memory of the recent year working on ASFF is the festival’s online screening, and the reasoning for this is not as straightforward as it may seem. We originally planned to have our first screening in person, making huge arrangements with the theater and setting plans for catering and decor. We did so much advertising and managed to get 100 people sign up for tickets on the first day. However, all that disappeared with the start of the pandemic. Our team adjusted to the situation at hand and come up with a new strategy while working remotely — we were determined to see our first year through and pushed forward towards a virtual screening. Finally, in December, after numerous setbacks and delays, we held our first ever screening. Even though it did not have quite the satisfaction of holding an in-person event, I was proud that we were able to battle through all the adversity and finish our first year strong.
We all have a vision that we work hard towards. However, it’s important to understand that while there are numerous things we can control, there’s also a lot we can’t control. It’s important to be driven towards a certain goal, but to also be flexible and to not get discouraged if we encounter setbacks and unfavorable situations.”
Lou Eschapasse | Programming Director
“I am the programming director for the festival, where I coordinate with the jury, organize the website and finalize the selection.
I think the highlight of my year was when professionals from the film industry agreed to be part of our jury! Their feedback was very valuable and demonstrated the talent of the filmmakers.
Keep going even though there are some challenges! Perseverance is really important to get what you want and achieve your goals, along with believing in the worth of your project.”
Anna Daugherty | Technical Director
“I’m the Technical Director and I deal with logistics of the festival. One of the highlights of my year was a funding presentation that we prepped for and gave on a rainy weekday morning. It went well, and that notification of how much funding we received was one of the coolest feelings. It was so validating of the work we’ve put in and created so much excitement for the future of the event.
Being proactive in any role you have is important. Especially if you communicate with people outside your organization, you have to engage. The more you plan ahead, clarify, and set deadlines for yourself, the smoother the sailing will be.”
Yunni Zhu | Artistic Director
“I am the Artistic Director of the Atlanta Student Film Festival. My position as the Artistic Director allows me to explore and apply many different aesthetics for both the on-set and virtual displays of the film festival.
I miss working late in Skiles 355 with everyone! Many ups and downs happened there, but we were able to push through and support each other. I am so proud of all my teammates and what Atlanta Student Film Festival has accomplished.
Voice yourself when you are a part of an organization. Your opinions are valid and you need to be heard!”
Rachel Rinehart | Marketing Director
“I am the Marketing Director for ASFF. As the Marketing Director, I aim to strengthen and coordinate a connection between our festival and our community. I do this by utilizing social media platforms and working closely with my other teammates to create and share informative and compelling posts, while also engaging our audience. I am passionate about working with others to create something we are proud of.
I have a lot of love and appreciation for the team; we started this together and it grew from just an idea to a real event. I am proud of how far we have come and am excited to see how the festival grows. The late night meetings are full of great work ethic and progress, but pre-COVID I do miss the laughs and fun moments we had.
Amanda Kim | Outreach Director
“Hi, I’m Amanda, and I’m the Director of Outreach. I am the point of contact with the student filmmakers who have submitted their films and our festival attendees. I make the monthly newsletters which are sent out to our Atlanta Student Film Festival Community. Another major part of my role is to collaborate with Yunni in creating social media posts and with Rachel in planning our marketing strategies.
When I was working with Yunni one night, drafting up the congratulatory emails to our festival winners, I had this indescribable feeling and excited energy rush within me. I was experiencing this surreal epiphany that helped me truly see the fruits being produced by all the hard work our team had been pouring out to having our first festival.
Keep putting in your effort and being intentional with what you’re responsible for. After you try and if you don’t obtain your expected results, think of other creative strategies that you can try out! And it’d be even better if you discuss them with your teammates for their perspectives and insights on your new ideas!”
