The Yuba-Sutter Flash Film Festival is set to screen this year’s short films on Saturday, September 26, at the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts. The event, a project of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture, will begin its screening and award ceremony at 4 p.m. at the theater, located at 754 Plumas Street in Yuba City. Doors will open to the public an hour earlier, at 3 p.m.
The festival challenged participating teams to transform an idea into a finished film within a single 48-hour weekend. Each team was assigned a random theme, a specific object, and a line of dialogue from a famous film, all of which had to be incorporated into their final piece. From these core requirements, filmmakers were responsible for developing the story, performances, camera work, sound, and editing to produce a film lasting between four and six minutes.
Eight entries are slated for screening, representing the creative output of local filmmakers. The lineup includes Eric Preston’s “Tipsey Travelerz,” Cassandra Fifield’s “The Flatulent Tangerine,” Cullen Halloran’s “An Adventures Gilld,” Genia Moretti’s “Forbidden Flame,” Graley Bishop’s “Zombie Apocalypse,” Nathan Schemel’s “College Tour,” Samantha McDougal’s “The Envelope,” and Tristan Alcisto’s “Feist or Heist.”
Attendees can purchase tickets in advance for $15 through yubasutterarts.org or at the theater box office, which is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Should tickets still be available on the day of the event, they will be sold at the door for $20. YSAC organizers encouraged community members to attend the screening on September 26 to enjoy the films and support the local people who made them.
Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture anticipates that the films will elicit a range of reactions from audiences, from laughter to surprise, and may prompt continued thought long after the credits have finished. The screening provides a vital opportunity for the filmmakers to experience their work alongside an audience, while also giving the broader community a chance to acknowledge and celebrate the creativity demonstrated through the challenge.
Films submitted to the festival will be judged across several categories, including storytelling, camera technique, clear audio, lighting, editing, and the effective use of music to establish mood. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three films: $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place.
