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Pepperdine Students to Showcase Films at Eighth Annual Reelstories Film Festival


The Pepperdine University Student Programming Board will host the eighth annual Reelstories Film Festival (RSFF) at Mullin Town Square on the Malibu campus on Friday, February 3, from 6 PM to 10 PM. The event will showcase students’ documentary filmmaking techniques through the art of storytelling.

This year’s RSFF will include the new short film category, which will screen films running between 30 seconds and two minutes. The shorts will be presented on a big screen at the Sandbar, which will be transformed into a lounge space where audiences can sit and watch the films before and after the feature film screenings. Audiences will then have the opportunity to submit votes for the best short film.

“The layout and design of the event is really inspired by classic Hollywood and classic cinema,” explains senior Justin Wirawan, cochair of the Student Programming Board’s Film and Entertainment Committee and RSFF executive director. “We are trying to bring back the nostalgic feeling of what movies can do to us emotionally.”

Alexander Corwin, Seaver College junior and fellow cochair of the Film and Entertainment Committee, is enthusiastic about showcasing the array of student films. “Pepperdine is home to tremendous talent and countless inspiring stories,” he says. “Reelstories has always been a platform for some of these stories to be brought up, and inspire community and discussion throughout Pepperdine’s student body.”

The feature-length films selected for screening will be between five and 15 minutes, demonstrate Pepperdine values, and contain content that can promote healthy discussions. The number of selected films will depend on votes from a panel of judges, consisting of Pepperdine alumni and past Reelstories winners.

Attendees can check in at 6 PM to receive t-shirts and tickets to Elkins Auditorium and Smothers Theatre, where doors will open at 6:45 PM. The screenings and question and answer sessions are scheduled to take place in both theatres at 7, and will be followed by a reception and awards ceremony around 9 PM, where guests can enjoy live music and food served by volunteers.

For additional information about the event, visit the Reelstories Film Festival website.