Very Short Film Festival returns to Peninsula College

Peninsula College once again hosts the Very Short Film Festival, set for 6 p.m. Friday, June 9, in the college’s Little Theater, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles, as part of the college’s annual Student Arts Week celebration.

This year’s theme is “Dating,” a topic that was open to interpretation and could include anything from carbon dating to edible dates, to humans dating humans.

The free, public event contains some mature content, so viewer discretion is advised.

Tickets are free but seating is limited. This show is made possible through the generous support of the Peninsula College Associated Student Council (ASC).

Students from the winter drama course acted as judges for this year’s submissions. Dr. Lara Starcevich and veteran filmmaker Mark Schwartz co-taught the class that covered the fundamentals of screenwriting, acting and directing. Individuals created an original film for the festival.

Starcevich has taught speech and drama at Peninsula College since 2008. She’s a writer, actor, director and teacher who also performs stand-up comedy/improv at open mics and will be performing this August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Aug. 21-25.

Schwartz is an award-winning filmmaker whose diverse experience as a producer, director and writer ranges from indie feature films (selected for New Directors, Santa Barbara, Mill Valley Festivals), to screenplays optioned by major entertainment industry producers and studios, to social justice documentaries (selected for Sundance, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, London, Berlin, Chicago festivals).

For more information, contact Starcevich at laras@pencol.edu or 360-417-6478.