Winners announced in Dallas Public Library Teen Film Festival

A stop motion film shot by a 15-year-old student at Ursuline Academy won first place in the Dallas Public Library’s first annual Teen Film Festival. Elenor Post’s untitled film illustrates how technology has changed the way we communicate: https://youtu.be/XzyuA9lGv2o.

The ninth-grader’s work also caught the eye of Jason Boso, owner of Twisted Root in Deep Ellum. “It was a spur of the moment decision to offer Elenor the chance of creating short videos for a business after seeing her film,” said the self-proclaimed movie buff. “She will work on employee training videos as well as fun stuff to post on social media.”

All entries were three minutes, shot entirely on cellphones and related to the question: “How has technology affected your life in your community?” Prizes included gift cards to the Angelika Theater, Photojojo Lens Set and a 16 GB iPad mini 2.

Second place winner was Janelle Castillo, a 16-year-old junior at Ursuline Academy. Her film explored the relationships between technology and memory and featured a dreamlike collage of cellphone videos documenting her memories: https://youtu.be/bBe3jBwhZkQ.

Third place winner Alexis Dorado is a senior at Skyline High School. An aspiring journalist, he found his passion through technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaJUmRyNWmI&feature=youtu.be.

Honorable mention went to Leslie Miranda, a sophomore at Sunset High School for her film about friendship, illness and death, demonstrating the potential of technology during trying times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBVgzW9j8vo.

Pictured from left are: Elenor Post; Janelle Castillo; Alexis Dorado; and Leslie Miranda. Also judges Kate Park, Friends of the Dallas Public Library Executive Director and Jacqueline Vickery, UNT Assistant Professor.