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Video stars: Serling festival winners show A sad and lonely scarecrow decides to steal from a clothesline and create a straw-stuffed "wife." A Claymation astronaut has some fun with a tiny alien -- only to face the alien's mother. A penguin turns into a clarinet and plays the song "Tequila" (complete with sombrero). These aren't the plots of the next summer blockbusters -- although maybe they should be. No, these short films are among this year's winners of the annual Rod Serling Video Festival. The contest, founded in honor of the late "Twilight Zone" creator, is sponsored by the Binghamton City School District and local businesses to give students a taste of what filmmaking is like. Entries are accepted from around the nation, but festival organizers are proud to say there are more local winners this year than ever before. It's a testament to the creativity that's being fostered in local schools. Serling might be particularly proud of the winner for best screenplay, a "Twilight Zone" homage called "The Watchers." Santino De Angelo, an 11th-grader from Endicott, sets up the claustrophobic tale of two brothers as an episode of a fictional anthology series called "The Shades of Night." There are even a Serling-esque walk-on and a twist ending laden with philosophical implications about the nature of free will. "We Move Along," which won best direction for Susquehanna Valley High School 11th-grader Katherine Banko, is a music video for a song by rock band All-American Rejects that tells of a soldier killed in war and the love he left behind. It's a poignant story of despair and hope, all wrapped into a neat 4-minute package. A reception tonight at Binghamton High School will honor all of these creative young filmmakers, and the public is invited. Those who can't make it in person can watch the winning entries tonight on WSKG-TV. Congratulations to all. Maybe we'll see your names on a Hollywood film someday -- and if we do, we expect to get a discount on the popcorn. |