Written By: Joy Yang
The most anticipated event for students at the University of Northwestern–St. Paul, drawing in people from world-renowned producers to local families, the Five16 film festival showcases the dedication and passion of film students on campus. With categories of films ranging from high-speed action to dramatized music videos, this is an event that cannot be missed. The Five16 Film Festival will take place in Knight Hall on Friday, April 11 at 7 p.m. Here are a few things to watch out for on the most anticipated night of the school year!
The Attire
Ready to pull out the old prom dress?
Not only is the film festival a big deal for the films, but it’s a big deal for the looks! With a walkable red carpet, numerous photo ops, and cameramen ready to take your photo, students prepare their best selves for the night of the year.
Within the few hours before the doors open, students flood the green and surrounding architecture for photos, showing their best smiles to capture heartfelt memories together. Seeing everyone dressed up, and getting to dress up, is one of my favorite parts of the festival!
Not only do we get very few chances to dress up in college, but it allows us to take snippets of our time here and remember them through photos and videos. Be sure to grab some friends, get ready together, and take some beautiful pictures!
Special Guests
This year, the University of Northwestern–St. Paul will be in the presence of Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director, Randall Wallace! Producer of renowned films such as Pearl Harbor and Braveheart, Randall will not only be at the festival but also celebrating the 30th anniversary of Braveheart with an exclusive event on campus: “Living the Braveheart Life”.
Following the Five16 Film Festival, “Living the Braveheart Life” will be held in the Knight Performance Hall, on April 12 at 7 p.m. Get your tickets by clicking the link above!
The Films
Film students at the University of Northwestern–St. Paul are the face, the reasoning, and the heart behind this big night. Tiffany Manning, (Media Production, ‘25) has worked on numerous Five16-nominated films and says that this year is very competitive, as previous award-winning students go head-to-head for this year’s awards.
She first got into film as a child, taking videos on old camcorders and creating short movies with her siblings. This year, Tiffany has been nominated for the cinematography behind “Needles”. When asked what it means for her to be nominated alongside her peers she said,
“It’s really special. With student films, especially at the University of Northwestern–St. Paul, we are held to a high standard, and getting chosen out of a super competitive bunch is meaningful because of the dedication going into it. Every film being submitted to Five16 has had a lot of hard work put into it and lots of people who are proud of it. So to be chosen for this is extremely special.” -Tiffany Manning (Five16 Nominee)
“Needles”, a film by Lindsey Fields and shot by Tiffany Manning, “is a spooky tale about working together and accepting people who are different.” Tiffany says that when working on this film with a student-led team, the value of it is the learning process. Everyone is learning and ideas are bouncing off one another. As a cinematographer, she and the director, Lindsey, exchanged ideas all the time, which she noted was one of the most important jobs as a cinematographer. Be sure to keep an eye out for this film and all the others that Tiffany participated in!
Five16 After-Party
Last but not least, the University of Northwestern–St. Paul’s student activities organization, Core, holds an annual after-party for those who have attended the film festival. Held in Erickson Gym, students head over for an extension of the night’s fun by dancing and singing the night away.
If you don’t have any plans after the festival, be sure to check out the after-party and make some more memories with the people you love most!
