UPIKE film festival wraps up its 4th year
0By Jalen Stone
The University of Pikeville Film and Media Arts program hosted its fourth annual UPIKE Film & Media Arts film festival in Booth Auditorium in the Record Memorial building during April 26-28. More than 130 entries were submitted to the festival, with 49 films and screenplays being accepted. The festival kicked off on Thursday, April 26, with the UPIKE showcase. This night was dedicated to highlight the works of current film and media arts students. On Friday, over 100 students from local schools attended the middle school and high school block of films. Saturday, college and professional film blocks featuredgenres such as comedy, drama, horror, and documentary. An awards dinner concluded the festival events on Saturday night with the winning filmmakers being honored. The winners were: Best Feature Screenplay was given to The Tenth by Jess Waters. Best Short Screenplay was awarded to Suit by Larry Porter. Best UPIKE Screenplay was won by Michael Elswick for his script, Basement. Best UPIKE Film was given to Life After Football by Rob Rundle. The Man with a Plan by Gabe Schmidt won Best High School Film. Best Middle School Film was won by the Williamson Middle School for their film, Trapped. Best College Film and Best of Show was won by Langston Williams for Stay Woke. Best Professional Film was given to The Pea Shooter by Joseph T. Spence. The Spirit of the Mountains Award was won by Ronnie Hylton for his film, Wandering Around the Hills.