The second annual student-run film festival Indie Louies, which was held this past weekend by the Brandeis Film Collective, screened numerous independent films and hosted a variety of other activities. The festival celebrated independent films and filmmakers as well as the community of those who simply love film.The festival took place predominantly in Cholmondeley's, save a welcome breakfast in Usdan Café on Saturday morning and the 90-minute filmmaking challenge. Immediately when I walked into Chum's, I noticed a counter covered in potato chips, drinks and the largest assortment of cheeses I have ever seen in one setting, with a group of people snacking and talking. Hence, the atmosphere of the entire festival was laid-back, unassuming and welcoming.

The focal point of the festival is to showcase independent filmmakers' works and to bring together filmmakers to "see what they're doing and ... learn from them," Illona Yuhaev '11, a member of both Indie Louies and the Brandeis Film Collective, said in an interview with the Justice. And that's truly what happened. If the director of a film was present, he or she was asked questions and conversed with others who were present about certain techniques or any symbolism that was employed.

A few standout films were screened courtesy of Tony Sarandrea, a film student from Temple University in Philadelphia. Surprisingly, there were several other submissions from students at Temple and from others outside Brandeis, including a submission from Utah. Sarandrea's films were under 10 minutes and included very little dialogue; however, each short was beautifully shot and Sarandrea's personal style was very apparent. Each frame was not clean and definite but gritty, adding tension and an old Hollywood feel to each short.

Another remarkable film, directed by Hanna Wellish '12, featured a flurry of images on a constant loop throughout the film with audio of a conversation between an elderly woman, her son and another woman playing over it. The elderly woman was Sarah Wellish, Hanna's actual great-grandmother; her son was Wellish's great uncle, who lived with Sarah all of his life, and the other woman is Hannah's mother. The audio, a taping of an actual conversation, showed Hannah's great-grandmother's condition-she could barely remember her wedding and believed that she was a soldier in the army.

Something that showcased how easily groups like Indie Louies and the Brandeis Film Collective can provide resources for anyone interested in filmmaking was the 90-minutes filmmaking challenge. Whoever wished to enter the contest had to come up with a premise for a film and then create it, while following rules such as including keys and a character named Dylan Dylan.

The first entry was from Max Price '11 and Elly Kalfus '13. The premise of the film was a video game. Price portrayed Dylan Dylan, a video-game character who must save Princess Cleopatra, portrayed by Kalfus, from the walls of the Usen Castle.

Each scene jumped right into the next, which contributed to the hilarity of the overt campiness of the video game premise. The second entry was directed by John Wong '12, who told a story of a man who encountered and killed a Chinese communist while randomly splicing in scenes of two girls discussing things like their nails breaking.

For this filmmaking challenge, there was a $200 cash prize that was awarded to Price and Kalfus for receiving the most votes out of those present at the screening. Ultimately, this challenge showcased how readily available filmmaking equipment is and how you don't need several years and tons of CGI effects to create a film. That goes for the other films as well; they didn't have the most advanced technology but were still able to create films that were poignant or downright entertaining.

Indie Louies was remarkable in that it brought together diverse films, filmmakers and people who appreciate film. Yuhaev explained that "the movie is ... aggressive in the way it captures you, ... the way it pulls you in." That could not be truer of the films screened and of the community of people at the festival discussing the very nature of their own films and what they mean.

Editor's note: Elly Kalfus '13 is an Arts writer for the Justice.