Eastern’s First Student-Film Festival Takes Center Stage: An Interview With Professor Day

Jason M. Kohl | Contributing writer

Co-Founder of the Green Frog Film Festival, Professor Brian Day - Credit: Jason M. Kohl

The Green Film Frog Festival is an exciting student-film night that showcases the creative work of Connecticut students in the media world. I had the pleasure of interviewing Professor Brian Day, one of the festival's founders. He shared insights on what to expect on Saturday, April 12, with a focus on the Pillars of Sustainability: Economic, Environmental, and Social Issues.

Professor Day expressed that his passions align perfectly with the festival's mission and hopes to spread the joy of Connecticut filmmaking from the students' perspective. Last year, the festival began as a high school program, featuring twelve different high schools across the state. This year, the festival has expanded to include high school, college, and professional filmmakers from around the world.

With nearly 200 submissions, the festival committee has curated a list of potential winners and award nominees. Attendees can look forward to 49 films from 23 different countries, ranging from two-minute shorts to feature-length films of up to 90 minutes. The genres include documentaries, fiction, animation, and experimental films, all centered around the Pillars of Sustainability.

Professor Day highlighted some standout submissions, particularly in stop-motion and hand-drawn animation, as films to watch for. He hopes the festival will inspire new filmmakers and raise awareness about environmental sustainability.

When discussing the challenges of organizing the festival, Professor Day mentioned the difficulty in finding people committed to reviewing the numerous film submissions. He noted that attendance will be a crucial factor in determining the festival's future, given its newness. Students can attend the Green Frog Film Festival for free on Saturday, April 12, from 5-10 PM in the Student Theatre Room 207 and COM 107.