Cinemate: a Film Festival of universal language

Lincoln IB Film students presented their short films between friends, families, and overall learners. A showcase of their skills in cinematography, teamwork, and creativity. 

Short films, free popcorn, and a cinema full of movie enthusiasts. What better way for our students to express themselves than through filming, a universal language. That is why, at Lincoln, we celebrate Cinemate: our own annual Film Festival that showcases the hard work of our International Baccalaureate (IB) Film students.

After three years, it was the first time our High Schoolers enjoyed the event together on campus. It was an anticipated event, considering that, the previous year, it was all done online, and, the year before, the Festival got canceled. 

This year, there were even two featured films created for the Clash of the Titans International Film Festival, held in Paris. Each year Lincoln participates in that world-renowned event that challenges students of international schools from five continents to create a short film in less than 48 hours. "I'm very proud of the amount of work that students pour into these short films," Kyle Heide, IB Film Teacher at our school, adds. 

Behind the scenes of Cinemate

Before they showed their hard work to their fellow film lovers, our learners spent all year watching and analyzing short films. To get to Cinemate, the students practiced screenwriting, editing, directing, sound design, and all the other necessary skills for cinematography.

But mastering the technical side was not enough. There was also teamwork and collaboration. Usually, ideas clash, plans don't go as expected, reality brings challenges, and filmmakers must adapt, compromise, and put the best of each other for the project. Even with all that, as professor Heide explains: "The chance to finally see your work on the big screen at Cinemate with a live audience makes it all worthwhile."

THE MAGIC OF SHARING 

The audience is as much part of the movie as the movie itself. Sharing tends to fulfill the filmmaking experience. Heide comments on this topic thoroughly. From his point of view, there is something special about having an outside audience of families, friends, and strangers. "When they happen to gasp or laugh or anticipate a jump scare, we realize that our films are speaking a common language and communicating human emotion successfully, and that's a great feeling for any filmmaker to have," concludes.