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The ‘Aves’ and the Have-Nots: Finding a Team to Create a Memorable Short Film Showpiece
The amazing program in the Masters of Fine Arts at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles allows students to focus on six disciplines of filmmaking. (See related story: AFI Film Fest Focuses on the Up-and-Comers https://mikeszythewriter.medium.com/afi-film-fest-focuses-on-the-up-and-comers-f85d5b67e37e)
Over the two-year course, like-minded students come together to share their expertises in Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting and create a short film that will in all hopes be a calling card to show off each of their specific talents.
It’s an exclusive group, only 140s students are accepted a year since the program started in 1969.
The alum from this school includes a notable list not filmmakers such as David Lynch (“Twin Peaks”), Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”), Terrence Malick (“Badlands”), Patty Jenkins (“Wonder Woman”), Paul Schrader (“Taxi Driver”), Mimi Leder (“The Morning Show”) and many others.
Cut to this recent year, when one of the most captivating of the student films is “Aves,” a 19-minute film that is so involved, so compact, so rich and so intense that it’s impossible to review without giving something away that could spoil it for audiences.
