On December 1st, 2015, Katie MacEntee and Casey Burkholder held the 3rd International Cellphilm festival at McGill’s Jack Cram Auditorium. The festival celebrates one-minute cellphilms—films made on a cellphone—and this year we drew 21 entries from across Canada, Hong Kong, Mexico, and South Africa. This year’s theme, What’s a Cellphilm? DIY in the Digital Media Age, inspired a variety of interpretations from teachers, activists, and citizens. All of the entries from this year’s festival can be viewed in a digital archive on YouTube.
Melissa Zadravec was the first-runner up from Canada, for her cellphilm, “Teaching about Residential Schools to Children,” which explored the need to tell difficult histories to children in language and through examples that they can digest.
Giovanny Rodriguez, of Mexico, was our international first-runner up for his philm, Binniza` – Cultura Zapoteca, which describes traditional Zapotec cultural practices and employs gorgeous cinematography and complex sound design.
Patrick Richard won the Canadian competition for his cellphilm, The Mountain. In one incredible complete take (filmed backwards), Patrick describes his sense of belonging in Montreal.
Alecxis Ramos Pakit and Jianne Soriano won the international competition for their cellphilm, Who am I in Hong Kong? which describes their identities as ethnic minority young women growing up in Hong Kong.
The International Cellphilm Festival is supported by McGill Institute of Human Development and Well Being and the Participatory Cultures Lab. Huge special thanks to Michelle Harazny and Claudia Mitchell for their help with organizing the festival, and to Ashley DeMartini, Toni Nikolantonaki, Hani Sadati, Joshua Schwab-Cartas, Jen Thompson, and Tyler Morency for judging the cellphilm entries.
