“Welcome to the first annual Hoover Film Festival,” said film festival founder Eric Sanchez, and the lights went off and films began.

The first annual Hoover Film Festival was an event that allowed students to create any type of film as long as they fell into five categories: Personal Short film, Stop Motion, PSA, Silent Film, Short Documentary, and Sports. The publications staff were so thrilled to show the amazing and creative films by the Hoover cardinals. The event was created as it allowed students to express and explore themselves  in many ways.

Eric Sanchez wanted to establish something that hadn’t been done at Hoover before he went to college and so the first Hoover Film Festival was born. Eric got the idea when the Media Arts Center program came to his yearbook class last year.  The teaching artist, Mr. Edwin Cruz,  taught them how to be crafty with their phones and create films using the footage and WeVideo.

The idea formed into his head this year when the program was over and seeing his peers with their creative minds form art. The experience is vital as students film many topics that are powerful and meaningful. Many students created self- documentaries, documentaries of mental illness, short stories, slow motion films, and sports films.  Prizes were given for the three top films.

“I was extremely proud of this outcome because it takes guts to express yourself,” said Eric. “The Cardinals had the courage to film something that is significant in their lives. Each film during the event had different meanings, yet each gave out a powerful message. I hope this festival later becomes something huge and meaningful to Hoover High School.”

For more information, please visit Hoover High School Film Festival