The annual Geneseo Insomnia Film Festival begins its seventh season this Friday.
It has become a memorable annual student event to help usher in spring. The Geneseo Insomnia Film Festival (GIFF) begins its seventh short film competition this Friday (March 23).
As inspired by Apple’s Insomnia Film Festival, the basis of the GIFF is that participants, in groups of up to four, must create a three-minute film within 24 hours. The students are provided with a list of 20 elements at the kick-off of the competition, from which they must utilize at least three of the elements in their video. The first place team is awarded a $400 Amazon gift card, but the competition offers much more than just a monetary prize.
This year, the GIFF has more than 100 registered “INSOMNIACS!” from all Geneseo disciplines contributing to the competition.
Joe Dolce, CIT’s instructional design technologist and the founder of the event, had no hesitation when asked to what he attributes the success of the GIFF.
“The students! Definitely, our students,” he said. “Every year what I see these young people do over the 24 hours they’re provided amazes me. The part I value the most is the fact that many of them only see a good time; they don’t even realize all the valuable things they’re learning while doing!”
The GIFF’s judging consists of five Geneseo faculty and staff judges, who will be examining impact, cinematography, story and gestalt. The winners will then be announced during an Award Ceremony in Wadsworth Auditorium (6:30PM) on GREAT Day, April 17. The event is open to all members of the Geneseo community.