Student wins at film festival

NORWALK - Cerritos College film student Peter Catania has been named the winner in the student film category of the annual SoCal Film Festival on October 3. Catania's film Writer's Block was selected by a professional panel of judges.Named as one of MovieMaker Magazine's 20 Festivals worth the entry fee, the SoCal Film Festival celebrated its sixth anniversary in providing independent filmmakers and screenwriters an opportunity to show their work to industry professionals. "Writer's Block" was nominated in three different categories; Best Short Film, Best Achievement in Student Filmmaking - Short Film, and Best Actor in a Short Film - Tony Perez. Catania, who earned an honorable mention at 3C Media Solutions Fifth Annual Student Film & Video Festival and went through the Action On Film International Film Festival earlier this year, appears to keep adding to his list of achievements. Catania's instructor, Professor Steven Hirohama, congratulated Catania on his award and stated "I've said this many times in my production classes - the key to making any good film is "concept, design and execution. Writer's Block is a simple story, carefully (production) designed and executed eloquently." Catania's short film Writer's Block is a fantasy about an author who sets up his desk in the middle of a park as a last ditched effort to get inspiration for his story. When he hits the keys to his typewriter, instead of hearing the keys slap against the paper, he hears piano notes. He continues typing and a song begins to emerge from what he is writing. "I am very proud of the cast and crew of the film, two of which are currently students of Professor Hirohama," said Catania, of Signal Hill. "This recognition wouldn't have been possible without them. This award belongs to all of us." Catania is making the most of the festival experience by getting feedback on his film, networking with people and gaining knowledge on how to finance a film project. Catania received his A.A. from Cerritos College in 2009. After graduating, he began taking the film production classes with Professor Hirohama which he completed this year. One day he hopes to become a feature film director. He is currently working on preproduction of his next short film for which the primary cast and crew of Writer's Block is getting together again. "Mystery and paranoia will be the key genres explored," said Catania. "It has been a wonderful experience to write the challenging screenplay, and we are all eager to start production early next year." Visit Cerritos College film program web site to keep posted on lectures and workshops and also student podcasts, http://cerritosfilm.org. For more information about the film production program, contact Steven Hirohama at (562) 860-2451 ext. 2637.

********** Published: October 21, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 27