10th annual Insomnia Film Fest registration opens
The 10th annual Geneseo Insomnia Film Festival’s (GIFF) registration period has opened and event coordinators are looking for any and all SUNY Geneseo students to sign up for the 24-hour-long contest. As a member of last year’s winning team, “Wyo”, I can tell you, you won’t want to miss out!
First, we should start with some basic information about the GIFF. The festival started over a decade ago to inspire students to create three-minute films while having fun with friends and other teams with the added caveat that every part of the process be completed in a 24-hour window. The event will begin on Friday, Mar. 22 at 5 p.m. and conclude at the same time on Saturday, Mar. 23. Each element of creating a short film, including scripting, filming, and editing must be completed within that slim time frame.
Now, you may be saying to yourself, “I’ve never scripted anything in my entire life, or tried to film a movie, or have any post-production experience whatsoever,” and to that, I say, “Don’t worry about it.” At this time last year, neither myself nor any member of my team had any experience with those things either—and it was completely fine. No experience is necessary because GIFF is, at its core, a learning process that is ultimately meant to leave you with some new skills while allowing you to have some fun with those around you.
Going back to our winning entry, “Stay Weird,” we took inspiration from some films in both the thriller and horror genres such as “The Sixth Sense” and “Midsommar” by adding elements such as plot twists and implying violence without spending a large amount of time displaying the act of it. My favorite parts of the process were definitely off-screen, as I found the cinematography and editing tasks to be the most gratifying, and I felt as though I could truly see my creativity soar.
Outside of the actual project, it was a blast staying up all night and spending that time creating something that I am genuinely incredibly proud of. Along with that, I got to do it with my friends—and even met other groups of people through the process who I never would have otherwise! Spending hours in South Hall’s computer lab, hearing multiple other groups of people work through their own projects with such an array of ideas and experience levels was really enjoyable.
After the 24 hours is over, however, the event as a whole is still ongoing. Once the groups submit their films, the projects are then judged by a panel of staff and faculty members who rate each based on “Impact, Cinematography, Story, and Gestalt.” The festival then comes to fruition on GREAT Day, occurring on Wednesday, Apr. 24, with an award ceremony taking place at 6:00 p.m. in Wadsworth Auditorium. In past years, the award ceremony consisted of each group sitting with friends, family, and faculty members, enjoying some free treats, and watching all of the films before the top three teams were awarded prizes. It is a great way for everyone to revel in their collective successes and enjoy the projects all together.
Make sure to register for the 2024 Geneseo Insomnia Film Festival soon as registrants past Saturday, Mar. 9 will not receive a free GIFF t-shirt (another highlight of the event). For more information on the event, visit the coordinators as they table in the MacVittie College Union on Tuesday, Mar. 5, follow their Instagram @GennyInsomnia, or contact brookes@geneseo.edu. Sign up now, as you will always remember this experience even after your time at Geneseo!