Best Film on Campus, a Web site sponsored by mtvU, allows student filmmakers to submit their work online in a format much like YouTube. In a democratic process of constant updates and responses (several videos are uploaded every hour), viewers sort through the work and select their favorites. The most talented—or the most outrageous—filmmakers rise to the top. But Best Film on Campus offers more than just a platform for celebrity, as is evidenced in the Best Filmmaker on Campus Awards.
From all the submissions received this year, 25 student filmmakers were selected as finalists. The audience then voted for its 10 favorite artists. Soon, the next round of voting will open, and only five winners will emerge from the fray. These five—the best of the best—will be showcased on MTV.com and MTV video on demand. Then, two filmmakers will be selected, head to the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, and finally—during the award show—one talented, lucky winner will take the prize: a development deal with MTV Films.
The Top Ten finalists for the 2008 Best Filmmaker on Campus Award include two Columbia students, as well as strong showings from other top film programs in the nation, including New York University and Emerson College. Among the hopeful ten are Alexander Poe, School of the Arts ’08, and Jasmin Tekiner, SoA ’11. Poe made it to the final five last year, but Tekiner is a first-time competitor. Voting has already closed for this stage of the selection, and will open again once the final five are revealed.
The selection of work on the Web site—from mini-TV series to comedy sketches to political activism pieces—has a tremendously wide scope. When voting for a filmmaker, one can look at more than just one or two short films—the entire oeuvre of the artist is laid bare, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to the craft.
“I don’t really know if my movies are art house or indie,” Poe said in an e-mail interview. “They run the gamut from comedies to drama and horror. I just try and make films that I would want to see and hope that someone else out there might respond in the same way.”
As voters choose and the competition continues, students may begin to gain a toehold in the film industry. Poe screened two movies at Tribeca Film Festival last year. “It’s always nice to see your work on a big screen in a packed theater,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s a sure-fire ticket into the film world,” Tekiner said in an e-mail, “unless maybe you’re the grand prize winner and you get the development deal.”
Regardless of how the voting plays out, both filmmakers appreciate the hub of art, humor, and publicity provided by Best Film On Campus. “Any kind of exposure is always great,” said Tekiner.
“It would be great to get my work out to the broadest audience possible,” said Poe. “I think that if you’re serious about the work, the only thing to do is to just keep doing it without thinking too much about what will win or what will sell. As an emerging filmmaker you have to take advantage of every opportunity to get your work out there, and the BFOC competition is a great way to do that. I’m glad MTV is interested in promoting the next generation of filmmakers.”