Earlier this month, ESD film and acting students and their advisers, Lauren Redmond '01 and Bobby Weiss, attended the All American High School Film Festival in New York. Film students Grace Boyd '19, Josh Chabria '21, Sam Curtis '21, Sabrina Gies '20, and Preston Moderi '21 and acting students Alexandra Everbach '19, William Hargrave '19, and Gracie Thomas '20 presented their collaborative film, "The Art of the Perfect Brew," a dark comedy about brewing tea. Given a prompt by the Film Festival guidelines in September, these students planned their shoot over the past month but only had a 72-hour timeframe to complete the film - all actual shooting, editing, and finishing touches were completed within that short window while in New York.

The All-American High School Film Festival is the premier destination for talented high school filmmakers and media arts enthusiasts from around the world. Their mission is to provide immersive education with a profound impact, connecting the filmmakers of the future with the rewards, respect, and recognition they deserve. To learn more about AAHSFF, visit their website here.

This is the third year that ESD's film program has been invited to participate in the All American High School Film Festival. Because the time is limited, students often split into several groups to film and edit. This year, the group took three actors from the theater department to better accomplish the quick turnaround for the film. "It is a fun and exciting opportunity, although it can be stressful at times," Bobby Weiss, Film and Fine Arts teacher, said. "It is always great to see a group of students working hard on this collaborative effort to create an amazing product."

At the conclusion of the festival, "The Art of the Perfect Brew" was streamed at the AMC Theater in Times Square. The film will also be screened in Dallas at the ESD Film Festival on January 18, 2019. Congratulations to these Eagles on their hard work and dedication!