The third annual Grizzdance Film Festival was held Thursday, Nov. 15, and Friday, Nov. 16, in the Oakland Center. Members of the OU community were encouraged to view the student-made productions Thursday and Friday afternoons in the Fireside Lounge. A banquet concluded the festival Friday evening with the presentation of several awards for accomplishments in the students’ films.

Entries for the film festival were judged by a panel comprising four OU faculty and six OU students. During the daytime screenings, OU students were able to cast their votes for the Student Choice Award.

The first place prize went to Jared Radtke, who won best director for his film “Lord Save Our Souls.” The film was also awarded best editing, best acting and best music editing.

The Student Choice Award went to the film “Overcoming Parker,” directed by Tom Lindell. The story focused on a boy who, after being tortured by a school bully, trained to defend himself and eventually overcame obstacles. The film was also awarded best school spirit and best writing and won second place overall.

“Dawn of Confusion,” a comedy directed by Ryan Falchek, spoofed the dawn of man and prehistoric struggles with women, food and shelter, and nature. It received the award for best costume design and best comedy, as well as third place overall in the competition.

Award-winning documentary film producer Greg Bennick served as the banquet’s keynote speaker. He delivered a highly interactive and entertaining speech while incorporating a small juggling act, playing on the idea of balancing the various virtues and aspects of creativity.

“I think the festival was the most successful we’ve had so far. Although we received fewer entries than last year, we were able to spread the word about the festival so that more of the OU community knew about it and were able to attend. Hopefully this notoriety will expand interest and desire to submit productions in the years to come,” said Sean Buono, president of Grizzdance Film Festival.

Grizzdance is a campus-wide film festival designed around the idea of free student expression through the video medium. Its name was inspired by the Sundance Film Festival, the largest independent cinema festival in the United States.

The festival was sponsored by the Honors College Student Association and Student Video Productions (SVP). For more information on Grizzdance, visit the Grizzdance Web site or e-mail grizzdance@gmail.com.