SCREEN SELECTION: One of the films selected for the Princeton Student Film Festival on July 30 is “Illumination” by Charlotte Anthony, from which a still is shown. The festival has been sponsored by the Princeton Public Library since 2003 and provides young filmmakers the venue and opportunity to screen their work, and have their films viewed by a broad audience.

By Wendy Greenberg

A local event for more than two decades, the Princeton Student Film Festival is still attracting more up-and-coming filmmakers who are submitting films of better quality, say the co-chairs. Viewers can see 12 selected films in the Princeton Public Library’s Community Room on July 30 beginning at 6 p.m. followed by comments from the filmmakers.

The festival, which started in 2003, has continued for 22 years with high quality entries from all over the world, said co-chair Megan McCafferty (with Amanda Chuong), because of its window on what is on the minds of younger filmmakers. “I think what draws audiences is that the films give insights on what is in the hearts and minds of young people,” said McCafferty, who is in her third year on the committee, and second year as chair. “Every year I think there is no way we are going to top last year, no way, and we do on both a technical and emotional level,” she said.

Still, there are new aspects. For the first time, a student ambassador is on the selection committee. Iris Lautermilch, 19, a graduate of Hopewell Valley High School, was the filmmaker of Sacred Soil, selected to be shown last year. It was made as part of a high school program with Mercer County Community College, where students took film classes. “It was really cool to be selected,” said Lautermilch of the showing last year.

Lautermilch sees being on the selection committee this year a “full circle moment.” Asked what is considered in viewing the films for selection, Lautermilch said that they did “not recommend flawless films, but look for an intentionality in craft.” Additionally, a local element was sought, as well as understanding the background of the film, where the filmmaker was coming from.

Lautermilch, who will be working on a wildlife refuge this coming year before continuing college studies in environmental science, said she enjoys being on the selection committee, watching the films, giving feedback, debating the finer points and seeing the perspective of the rest of the panel.

For the second year, the library committee is selecting honorable mention films, in addition to those selected for screening (the word “winner” is not used). Thirteen honorable mention films will be streamed for a week following the in-person festival. “There are so many good films, it is important to show them,” said McCafferty, who is in Youth Services at the library. They are available online July 31 through August 7. More information is at princetonlibrary.org.

The films to be shown and the honorable mentions are selected by a 10-member screening committee. This year entries are up 30 percent from last year. This may be because of expanded outreach to high schools and colleges that are known for their film programs, said McCafferty, who noted that more high school filmmakers needed to be represented. Films were submitted from the United Kingdom, and France, where a well-known animation studio had established ties with the festival under McCafferty’s predecessor, Susan Conlon. “They do stunning, animated films,” said McCafferty.

Local filmmakers are prioritized, however, so they can attend the screening, which includes a Q&A. Ten of the 12 filmmakers selected will be attending, The screening is open to the public and is usually a full room, said McCafferty.

The festival is open to local, national, and international high school and college students (and home-schooled, unschooled, or not-in-school youth) ages 14-25. Films are required to have a running time of 15 minutes or less. This year the youngest filmmaker is 17.

If there is any kind of trend in this year’s films, McCafferty said, “filmmakers are trying to make sense of the complex, chaotic world we find ourselves in, in 2025. They are using their art to try to make sense of that.”

Filmmaking has become more inclusive, she noted. “We used to receive videocassettes but today, phones enable everyone to make films.” McCafferty wrote in a library blog last year: “Much has changed since the festival began in 2003. In the early days, the committee was swamped with VHS tapes. Then DVDs. Now everything is digital. Technology has helped somewhat democratize the filmmaking process, lowering the barrier for entry to anyone with a decent cell phone and an idea. Going digital also makes it easier to extend the festival beyond the in-person event.”

And film festivals are more common, she said. “There are a lot of opportunities for young filmmakers, and the quality gets better and better. We look to create a balanced lineup —documentaries, animation, experimental — but what they all have in common is that they evoke strong audience emotions.”

There is no admission charge to attend the screenings, which are intended for a teen and adult audience.