The festivities at last night’s PIKES PEAK PASSION FILM FESTIVAL went great! The content was very strong in both substance and style: ambitious substance and style as substance. An impressive showing of mostly youthful filmmakers.

If you weren’t there, no doubt you’ll hear back through someone: the selections wowed everyone. Some said “night and day” even, compared to last year, although I thought last year’s crop of local filmmakers was impressive itself. The first set of shorts last night in particular didn’t give the audience a chance to catch their breath until intermission.

Most notable among the shorts were: FOX GLOVE, by UCCS students Nate Udall and James Germaine, about non-virtual-reality in a first-person-shooter; LUNCH DATE, by Manitou High School senior Brian Danin, Nouvelle Vague meets downtown Colorado Springs youth; two stylized shorts about movement by senior Clint Bargers; SUSA’S RED EARS by animator Brent Green, who’s already signed to a record label; DON’T LET ME DOWN, by photographer Matt Chmielarczyk, where his daughter’s unselfconscious doll-play reveals what she knows of relationship dynamics; and JIMMY GOES TO COLLEGE, part of an alcohol awareness PSA by returning crowd-pleaser Pete Schuermann.

It was a really nice evening, well supported, and left a thoroughly pleased audience. Perhaps in contrast to the social ackwardness last year, last night afterward everyone eagerly hustled about to meet the obviously talented and motivated filmmakers.