Young filmmakers from around the greater Boston area gathered at the Coolidge Corner Theater, Monday, Nov. 24, for the Boundless Film Festival, a student-run showcase of youth creativity hosted by the nonprofit organization Art Without Bounds (AWB).
According to the AWB event description, the event aimed to expand access to the arts and provide young filmmakers with a public platform.
Organized by AWB’s student leaders, Boundless featured short film screenings, a student filmmaker panel, raffle prizes, and awards recognizing the top films.
All proceeds raised from the festival, through ticket sales, raffles, and donations, went to support Art Without Bounds’ year-round programs for young artists, helping fund year-round programs for children to explore art and cultivate creativity.
“This organization is committed to helping every young person follow their dreams,” said senior Alisa Slavitskaya, an AWB leader.
The film screening featured a wide range of genres, including narrative shorts like Disconnected by Maya Macomber, which explored the impact of screens; comedies such as The Hot Saucers, also by Macomber; experimental pieces like Safe Driving League by Levi Rosenberg Van-Gameren, Yossi Danzig, and Micah Klein, which used a sports replay format to highlight driving mistakes; as well as other comedies, documentaries, horror shorts, and animations.
Panelists encouraged students to continue pursuing creative work. “Get out there and get started, that is the best way to get experience,” Macomber said during the post-screening panel.
According to Gervacio, he wanted to create something that would not only represent himself, but students at every school, noting that many of his films explore the topic of mental health.
Rodriguez added, “As long as you put your mind to something and you are dedicated to it, you can get it done.”
Audience members voted for their favorite film at the end of the screenings, and the “Fan Favorite” award went to Gervacio’s animated short Classworkin.
According to Gervacio, his motivation for creating art is “to inspire people to get inspired.”
