BLUE BOX FILM FESTIVAL
The voice of this generation. 21 Short Films. 21 Perspectives on life in 2020-2021.
GRADE 11 DRAMA STUDENTS
Teacher: Donna Marie Baratta
SALAWIKAIN
The word culture is hard to define, as it means many different things to various groups of people. However, what is easy to imagine, is that a world without culture, would be a nightmare. Salawikain from the tagalog language means proverbs, and it is the passing down of knowledge generation to generation.
Filmmaker: Irwin Arzaga
BLUE
Do you remember a the times when life was normal and we could be with each other and not worry about masks? This film is about the contrast between how things used to be and how they are now in isolation.
Filmmaker: Jalen Blight
PARANOIA
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Assault
Paranoia explores a topic that is very prevalent in our society today. Though a hard subject to discuss, sexual assault has to be talked about so we can all collectively eduacte ourselves and make a change.
Filmmaker: Lia Barbaro
THE BOREDOM PROJECT
Tired of being stuck indoors during the first lockdown, a teen girl sets herself on a mission to stave off boredom.
Filmmaker: Isabel-Kristina Garcia
QUARANTINE UNFILTERED
Quarantine Unfiltered shows the realistic events that I have experienced as a teen during quarantine. I did not want to highlight only the good, but also the bad, the ugly, and the revelation. My main aim was to make a film that other teenagers my age can relate to and remember for years to come. This film unravels the silence from our busy pre-covid society into revealing and showing new and revolutionary truths that appeared during the pandemic.
Filmmaker: Joyce Dizon
BEING ALONE FOR DUMMIES, THE QUARANTINE EDITION
Quarantine left a lot of people alone at home so I wanted to create a short film that represents how people felt during lockdown, people were expected to “be fine” in a time that was not.
Filmmaker: Katia Messina
THE HABITS THAT HOLD YOU
TRIGGER WARNING: Drug Use
A teenage girl struggles with drug addiction and we see how her life starts to fall apart. Drugs don’t do any good for anyone and it is not a way to overcome your pain.
Filmmaker: Rebeca Lopez Ordonez
A REALLY BAD DAY
TRIGGER WARNING: Racism, Slurs, Blood, Swearing, Violence
The silence of society during the beating of an Asian teen goes unseen and unheard, cascading into several events of Asian hate crimes occurring all over the continent. But once the issues are acknowledged by society, many have already suffered.
Filmmaker: Joshua Viar
THE HARDWOOD
Timmy is a 16 year old boy whose love for basketball is greater than his overall skills. When faced with the challenge of being the new kid in town Timmy also has to deal with the neighbourhood bully Benjamin, more locally known as “Benny.” Benny and Timmy are at the park together and Benny challenges Timmy to a 1v1 as he is the new kid, after suffering a terrible defeat that left Timmy feeling like he shouldn't play basketball anymore he meets a boy named Tyrell who also suffered the same fate when challenged by Benny. Tyrell realizes that Timmy has the heart just not the skills and so the boys work together to help take down Benny.
Filmmaker: Matthew Herbinson-Aguilera
IVY LEAGUE
Ivy League addresses the shared obsession high school students have with performing well academically. After a certain amount of pressure, ambition flowers into obsession. While our futures are important, we must learn to slow down and take our lives one day at a time while also preparing ourselves for what is to come.
Filmmaker: Klara Nemaric
YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC
TRIGGER WARNING: Mental Health,
Self Harm
This film is about racism against Asians due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was inspired from personal experience of loved ones. Please stay safe and healthy.
Filmmaker: Parris Lee
BUT YOU DIDN'T FIGHT BACK
TRIGGER WARNING: Rape/Rape Culture, Violence
Pain and suffering are universal truths that, in many ways, are still rarely spoken about. But it is when we can conjoin voices and listen to each other’s stories that true healing occurs. Yes, healing is personal, but from a big-picture perspective, it is also a collective action.
Filmmaker: Charlotte Marron
WE ALRIGHT
A teenage boy, Keita, has his life altered upon learning of his father’s illness. His mother, occupied with caring for her husband, leaves tasks for her son. Keita’s initial routine promoted mental wellness, but having to help out at home may have personal negative implications he’s not letting on.
Filmmaker: Demilade Olaluwoye
WANNABE NEGATIVE
I feel like everyone can somewhat relate to the daunting feeling of waiting for either your own covid test results or someone you care deeply about. This is about a girl who had just gotten used to being back at school only to have to go back home due to multiple cases in her class. We see her go through everyday normalities that she hope to keep her from focusing on her situation. She hopes the results to be negative so she can go back to school. Hope you enjoy.
Filmmaker: Alyssa Schmitt
LOOP
A piano player aims to escape his inner demons and anxiety following the breakage of a relationship. In a four chord progression which he develops, a loop of images are evoked in his mind; a loop which he’s forced to play his way out of.
Filmmaker: Tomaso Sanelli
SPEED
TRIGGER WARNING: Drugs,
Mental Illness
Drug abuse is a serious issue that we face in our society today, affecting people from all ages from any end of the spectrum. This film is not used to fantasize the use of drugs to combat the stress of a high school student. However, on the contrary, shows how easily accessible and addictive they can be to anyone who abuses them.
Filmmaker: Sibora Shahinaj
TRIGGER WARNING: Mental Illness
Michael is having a difficult time in isolation dealing with a lack of social connection, self-care, and routine. He discovers through a peculiar turn of events that his best friend has passed away due to Covid-19. Without any notice that his friend was sick, he begins to question whether his friend is even dead. For all he knows, his friend may even still be alive. His mental state has been severely compromised as a result of being in self-isolation, which causes him to spiral out of control.
Filmmaker: Aiden Bushey
SAY GOODBYE
ANGEL
What would your perfect day look like? Who would be there? Would you get what you always wanted? Well, Serena finally does. She has her “perfect day”! But, at what price? Everything isn’t as it seems in “Angel”.
Filmmaker: Alessia Zilli
KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT
TRIGGER WARNING: Rape,
Sexual Assault
KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT follows the story of 15 year old Alexandra as she deals with the trauma of being raped by her boyfriend. She is silenced by this experience and she must learn to find her inner strength and gain her voice back.
Filmmaker: Grace Scandiffio
PERCENTAGE OF LIFE
TRIGGER WARNING: Body Image,
Mental Illness
Maddy, a 16 year old girl, is consumed by the unrealistic aspects of social media. She tries to change herself to fit the beauty standards, but the contour doesn’t erase the chubby cheeks, the concealer doesn’t make the smile lines go away, and the lipstick didn’t distract. Maddy comes to realize that she doesn’t need to change, but her habits do.
Filmmaker: Emily Gomes
C'EST LA VIE
The phrase “C’est la Vie” refers to the saying “that’s life/such is life.” During our life, things don’t always go as planned, however that doesn’t mean that the world is going to stop for you. Even when you’re going through more than others.
Filmmaker: Quincey Wyse