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The movies presented at the De Anza film department's 19th annual festival ranged from animated shorts, like the one shown here, to remakes of classic plays.

Festival showcases De Anza film department

By Steve Enders

There were no limousines pulling up or paparazzi flashbulbs going off at De Anza College Friday night. There weren't any red carpets, tuxedos, sequined gowns or hordes of screaming fans, either.

There were, however, plenty of proud film students who brought their families and friends to see some truly amazing pieces of work during the film department's 19th annual film festival.

About 200 people packed into the school's Forum I for the event, where about 15 films were highlighted as the year's best from the department. The department's staff selected the films to be shown.

"It was very hard [to choose]," said department coordinator Zaki Lisha, adding that the festival is not a competition.

Lisha founded the school's film and television department in 1974, and has a wealth of experience, including work on documentary and corporate film productions.

Since 1974, he's worked on building the department into what he calls a Bay Area "oasis," where students of all ages gain valuable industry knowledge.

Just a few years ago, De Anza built its Advanced Technology building, which houses the film school. The array of technology and resources to which the film students have access would befit a major university.

"We've got a good pool of talent here in the student body," Lisha said. "They bring a tremendous amount of sensibility."

Lisha said that students who come through the program range from teenagers who are fresh out of high school to professionals with doctoral degrees who are looking for a change of pace.

"We give them the environment and the tools and help them with the vision," he said.

The students' films are truly original, ranging from cutting-edge computer-animated shorts to an adaptation of an intellectually challenging play. The film crews are made up entirely of students--from the directors to the cameramen to the actors.

Even though students can no longer edit the final versions of the films that will be shown at the festival, some remained on campus last week, tinkering with their personal copies.

Sue Jackson, who has been a film student for two years, was one such student. Her 16-minute film--a take on Tom Stoppard's Arcadia--took four days to shoot, but she's put in about 50 hours each week since January to shape it. "If [the film] is of any length, it's a good opportunity to learn without throwing a lot of money at it," she said.

She said the portion of the English playwright's work that she adapted centers on a "really clever girl [who] is learning about life and physics." Despite the fact that this segment is set in the early 19th century, the play is full of modern-day parallels, Jackson said.

"The piece turned out better than I thought," she said. "It's like giving birth, but it's longer."

Lisha stressed that students generally don't realize how long it takes to make a film even with the best digital technology available--something he says he's fortunate to have.

"My students teach me! Where else can you get access like that for so cheap?" Lisha asked. "That's what makes us so special."

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, June 24, 1998.
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