Article by Emmett Goodman. It’s that time of year again, or those times of year again. ASIFA-East’s jury screenings for the upcoming animation festival in May. For those who are unaware of how these affairs work (and it seems we have a few newcomers), we take all submitted films and separate each night by category. There are four nights: 1) Student Films; 2) Commissioned Works; 3) Independent Films; 4) Educational/Music Videos/Experimental Films. Paid-up members of ASIFA-East get to participate in the judging, and in the end, those jury numbers are tallied up for the results. I am told this is one of the most democratic ways a film festival can work. Student Films The Student Night this year was an odd night. Because most of the films are by unseasoned students, the animation can’t always be judged fairly compared to professional looking work. Sometimes, students are so desperate to prove themselves, their work can have a very serious and preachy quality. It is with that realization in mind, I was able to suss out what I didn’t like more easily and find a few films I particularly liked. Something I really admire about these Student nights is that you...
