Seven Maine West High School and two Maine South High School student-produced films have been officially selected for the All-American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF), which will be taking place October 16 to 18 at the AMC Theater in Times Square, New York City. The AAHSFF is the premier destination for high school filmmakers and media arts enthusiasts from around the world. The festival provides an immersive education with a profound impact, connecting the filmmakers of the future with the rewards, respect and recognition they deserve. Each year, in the heart of New York City, AAHSFF presents the world’s largest high school film festival.
“We are especially proud of our students and this stunning showcase of teamwork and talent,” shares Maine West Fine Arts Department Chair Jennifer Mullen. “This milestone highlights our students’ dedication to impactful storytelling and cinematic excellence.”
The following District 207 projects were selected from a pool of over 2,500 entries from across the United States and around the world:
Maine South
PWI Schools (Documentaries) – Gianna Barcinas (12th grade), Melina Cesur (11th grade), Ash Lepore (recently graduated), Marissa Waters (recently graduated), Dominic Wynne (11th grade) and Kiki Zezelj (11th grade)
Over Everything (Drama) – Luke Compton (recently graduated) and Dominic Wynne (11th grade)
Maine West
Jim Cook’s Honor Flight (Documentaries) – Noah Becker (12th grade), Jackson Glunt (11th grade), Ethan Lindgren (12th grade), Korbin Maynard (12th grade), Mevis Membribes (recently graduated), Ivan Ochoa (recently graduated), Karen Orozco (12th grade), Lucy Pluta (recently graduated), Abin Varghese (12th grade) and Frederick Vis (recently graduated)
Bob Misevich’s Honor Flight (Documentaries) – Vanessa D’Ottone (12th grade), Cris Lawpattanapong (recently graduated), Josh Murphy (recently graduated) and Carlos Oraha (recently graduated)
Fantastic Feasts and Where to Find Them: Marina Mariscos (Broadcast Journalism Features) – Nolan Bain (recently graduated), Korbin Maynard (12th grade), Yezmeen Talbert (recently graduated) and Alex Trejo (12th grade)
Fantastic Feasts and Where to Find Them: Pronto (Broadcast Journalism Features) – Sami Alam (recently graduated), Milo Foy (12th grade), Ily Nanthavinh (recently graduated) and Manav Shah (12th grade)
How To Car (Broadcast Journalism Features) – Ivan Ochoa (recently graduated), Lianna Ritti (11th grade) and Olivia Young (recently graduated)
Bear Down Media (Video Podcasts) – Sami Alam (recently graduated) and Ivan Ochoa (recently graduated)
The Hyperfix Podcast (Video Podcasts) – Ray Copeland (recently graduated) and Mikko Espino (recently graduated)
“I am incredibly proud of our students whose films were selected for the All-American High School Film Fest in New York,” says Maine South Fine Arts Department Chair Teralyn Keith. “They demonstrated impressive technical and artistic skills while using their unique voices and perspectives. We are thrilled to celebrate this achievement with them and to see their stories shared with an audience beyond our school community.”
Maine South’s projects can be viewed here and Maine West’s can be viewed here.