Seven Marion County students received a combined $22,500 in scholarships after five days of team filmmaking at the fourth annual Ocala Film Derby. The week ended Sunday, September 27, with a screening and awards ceremony at Marion Theatre, the Ocala Gazette reported September 29. The newspaper described the scholarship total as a record for the event. Reilly Arts Center’s event listing independently confirms the date and 2 p.m. start at Marion Theatre.
A challenge built around teamwork
Reilly describes the Derby as a competition for Marion County middle and high school students. Teams worked with local mentors to create original short films under tight time limits, with required prompts for props, dialogue and characters. The listing says the format emphasizes teamwork, creativity and real-world filmmaking skills. The Gazette describes the five-day event as bringing students together with educators, industry professionals, colleges and community partners for filmmaking, mentorship and career exploration. Together, those details show a contest designed around both a finished film and the collaboration required to make it.
From opening reception to screening
The event began with an opening reception on September 23 at the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition in downtown Ocala. Workshops followed at the institute on September 24. On September 25, students filmed at the institute and at locations around downtown. The College & Career Expo, new for this year, took place there on September 26. The final day brought the screening and awards ceremony to Marion Theatre.
Reilly’s event listing scheduled doors for 1 p.m. and the event for 2 p.m. on September 27. The Gazette’s report confirms the ceremony took place at the theatre that day. Across the five-day schedule, students moved from opening activities and workshops to filming, a college and career event, and a public presentation of their work.
The Gazette’s photo caption identifies organizer Laurie Zink with Keniel Diaz, 14, and Ed Nathan Apalisok, 17, of the 13 Moments Crew at the ceremony. Reilly describes the Derby as a program for Marion County middle and high school students working with local mentors.
Seven scholarships, one record total
The Gazette reported seven scholarships totaling $22,500. Chance Johnson received $6,000 from The Lilac Foundation. Miguel Landstoy received $5,000 from A Friend of Film-Diane Palmer Pileggi. Samantha Wilber received $3,000 from Angie Lewis State Farm, and Andrew Brown received $3,000 from A Friend of Film-Diane Palmer Pileggi. Aiden Cox received $2,000 from It’s All About Your Real Estate LLC, while Alonso Joseph received $2,000 from Fort McCoy Ranch. Adrian Reyes-Crespo received $1,500 from Tom Ingram and Wally Wagoner, in honor of Wayne McCall. The seven amounts add up to the record total.
The scholarship process also gave students a role in recognizing their peers. Organizer Laurie Zink told the Gazette that the students choose the scholarship winners themselves. She said they are encouraged to think about leadership as collaboration, supporting a team and sharing, not only being the strongest editor or camera operator. Zink described seeing students grow over five days as one of the event’s inspirations.
Craft awards and team honors
The Gazette’s award list recognized distinct parts of filmmaking. Anna Gonzalez won Best Director for “Out of Reach.” Shaylee Pierce received Best Writer and Olivia Pierce Best Editor for “The Barber.” Samantha Wilber was named Best Actor for “Out of Reach.” Those honors recognized both a film’s direction and the creative roles that help bring a story to the screen.
Two team awards went to different films. “Out of Reach” received the Audience Choice Award for Sherlock Hitchcock & the Unsolved Films, mentored by Brody Barcode. “The Barber” received the Judges Choice Award for Killer Shots, mentored by Tommy Cuevas.
Other awards focused on particular choices within a film. “Out of Reach” won Best Use of Props, “Mixed Feelings” Best Use of Character, “Deja Vu” Best Use of Location, and “Last Bounty” Best Use of Dialog, the Gazette reported. The program’s results reflect the mix of skills it asked students to use: collaborate on a film, contribute to a team, and share a finished story with an audience.
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