three pieces of code create this two-column layout. The one just above this note starts it. Further down, you’ll see ‘column’ inside the parens and colons - that sets the location of the break. Then identify the end of the two-column layout with the code ‘colend’ inside the parens and colons.

“American Dream”

Grade 5 Project Supervised by Laura Klein
The Milwaukee Sign Language School
Documentary, 20:00 min

• This video introduces us the MSLS community, with students interviewing their administrators and teachers, and even taking us on some field trips to their favorite spots in Milwaukee.

“Animation Experimentation”

Grades 5–8 Project Supervised by Laura Klein
The Milwaukee Sign Language School
Animation, 3:00 min

• Who knew that clay could be so fun? A dizzying array of rainbows, fish, and candy from the kids at MSLS!

“Anti-mation”

Directed by Scott Prittie
Kettle Moraine High School, Grade 11
Animation, 1:00 min

• A typical animation class for Scott might look like this. Actually, we hope not ! Scott experiments here with the difficult process of making animated characters talk. He feels like he’s getting better by the milliseconds per frame. We don’t doubt it!

“Balloon”

Directed by Scott Widule
Kettle Moraine High School, Grade 12
Animation, 1:00 min

• The effects a balloon can have on the human body. Don’t try this at home! Scott is a third-year animation student and a repeat customer at the Milwaukee Spotlight festival.

“Battle of the Bands ‘05: The Twitch Kids”

Directed by Kaleigh Atkinson
Franklin High School, Grade 12
Live Performance, 17:00 min

• Dancing dinosaurs! Horns! This rompin’ video catches the Twitch Kids performance at last year’s local Battle of the Bands. The Twitch Kids are a “triumphcore” band whose catchy tunes and suave dance moves are sure to keep you entertained! This is Kaleigh’s second year in the festival. She’s counting down the days until she moves to Chicago to attend Columbia College, where she will major in Film Directing.

“The Biggest Argument”

Directed by Channel McClellan & Trinisa Johnson
Community High School
Public Service Announcement, 1:30 min

• Arguments over the most trivial things can escalate very quickly. Channel says she’s camera shy, but you won’t be able to tell in this PSA, created with Trinisa Johnson, whose “Chicken, Chocolate, & Hallways” also premiers at this festival.

“Blink”

Directed by Mike Cheslik
Whitefish Bay High School, Grade 9
Narrative Short, 19:00 min

• Drawing from Chaplin, 1950s propaganda films, and other sources, this film creates an original story about a regular bloke who ingests a remarkable pill, granting him incredible speed. Mike’s other films include The Canadian Affair and WD-40 , whose hilarious Director’s Commentary is also premiering at this festival.

“Boom”

Directed by Brandon Clemmer
South Milwaukee High School
Animation, 2:00 min

• When a bedroom becomes a battleground for Transformers! Don’t miss the battle of the RAM!

“The Butcher”

Grade 9 Project Supervised by Dominic Inouye
Pius XI High School
Literary Adaptation, 12:30 min

• This non-juried entry tells the story of Archibald the butcher with a weakness for bugs and girls. The students of this Freshman English class each wrote short stories, then voted on one to film. They learned how to add important detail to their stories by all having a hand in the storyboarding of the film. Then, with the help of student director and cameraman Greg Bishop, they spent only 3 class periods filming hundreds of shots in and around the school!

“Chicken, Chocolate, & Hallways”

Directed by Trinisa Johnson
Community High School
Experimental, 1:37 min

• Using time lapse photography, and experimenting with sound and exposure, this film takes us on a fast trip through the hallways of Trinisa’s school. Having only begun filmmaking last year, Trinisa has completed four short films. This is her first experimental.

“Crash”

Directed by Doug Bruce
Dominican High School, Grade 12
Public Service Announcement, 1:00 min

• Designed for a middle school audience, this PSA demonstrates the danger of making poor choices while under the influence of drugs. Last year, Doug was one of 50 students chosen to attend the National High School Institute at Northwestern University, where they worked with Dente Studios on a national ad campaign for Acura.

“Crazy Lights”

Directed by Bradley Lane
Community High School
Experimental, 1:00 min

• Bradley returns to the festival with one of his many experimental films which take ordinary objects and transform them into so much more.

“A Day In the Gym”

Directed by John Rhinesmith
Kettle Moraine High School, Grade 12
Animation, 1:00 min

• It’s hard being the odd man out, especially in gym class. And especially during dodgeball. John is a third-year animation student and this is the first story that he has directed on his own.

“Escape the Hurricane”

Directed by T.J. Campbell
Franklin High School, Grade 11
Music Video, 4:41 min

• In this addicting music video, each member of the band Piggies in the Hoosegow find himself chased by…well, we’ll let you find out for yourself. Think “Children of the Corn” meets “Planet of the Apes” meets high school administration. T.J. is now in the Advanced TV Tech class at his school, and plans in college to major in film and video, with a concentration in editing.

“Eternal High”

Directed by Bryce Mackie
Battle Creek Lakeview High School, Michigan, Grade 11
Narrative Short, 1:00 min

• A special shout-out goes to our friends across the water in Battle Creek, Michigan, where we got our FIRST ENTRY! This film portrays a teenage boy’s views on life as he tries to escape his depression through drugs. Based on the filmmaker’s personal experience, this film was screened for the entire high school, to raise awareness about this mental illness. Bryce’s goal is to attend a college film school.

“Fruit”

Directed by Zachary Nichols
Kettle Moraine High School, Grade 10
Animation, 1:09 min

• A group of fruit gets into a disagreement. Watch this, uh, interesting lesson in conflict resolution. Zachary, a second-year animation student, hopes to get a degree in film directing and digital animation.

“Hunk of Tin”

Directed by Jeffrey Locklin
Kettle Moraine High School, Grade 11
Animation, 1:00 min

• Yes, you guessed it: it’s a singing hunk of tin! Jeffrey has been part of Mr. Barder’s animation class at Kettle Moraine High for two years.

“Mascot Mayhem”

Directed by Zachary Nichols & Shane Bernhardt
Kettle Moraine High School, Grade 10
Animation, 1:40 min

• During a college football game, two mascots duke it out. This is Shane’s first clay animation. He worked with Zachary, who is also presenting his animation “Fruit” at the festival.

“Not For Sheep”

Directed by Austin Yerrick
Kettle Moraine High School, Grade 12
Animation, 1:02 min

• There are certain things that sheep should just not do. We bet you never thought of these, though! Austin is a second-year animation student and has also participated in MIAD’s summer animation program.

“A Ninja Turtle Extravaganza”

Directed by Will Harder & Bryan Protasiewicz, Grade 12
Kettle Moraine High School
Animation, 1:33 min

• Rafael is an avid Buddhist and meditates twice a day. His enemies take advantage of this contemplative passivity and capture him. Turtles to the rescue! Will and Bryan are first-year animation students and aspire to hit it big someday.

“Red Carnation”

Directed by Joe Bell
Waukesha West High School, Grade 12
Narrative Short, 11:25 min

• This film takes its title from the French classic La Ballon Rouge, or The Red Balloon. It blends interview and symbolic narrative to explore the theme of uncertainty. Joe has been making videos for over three years, and participated in last year’s festival.

“Robert’s Rules of Order”

Grade 6 Project Supervised by Patricia Kastelic, Carolyn Rubenzer, Thomas Hanley, and Michael Gerrity
Golda Meir Urban School for the Gifted & Talented
Documentary, 14:52 min

• You’ll learn all you ever wanted to know, and more, about the much-loved Robert’s Rules of Order. This film combines creative interviews and performances from a television series created by 32 sixth-grade students. Golda’n Moments Productions thanks Milwaukee Community Media (MATA) for training and for the use of their studio facilities.

“Shwalking”

Directed by Matt Hart
Pius XI High School, Grade 12
Mockumentary, 15 min

• Enter the fascinating world of Shwalking in this mockumentary about an exercise program that will really get arms and hips moving! An honored member of the Pius Comedy Sportz team, Matt has directed short films and student plays, and will attend Columbia College in Chicago next year, double-majoring in Screenwriting and Directing.

“Sludgemonster: My Anti-Drug”

Directed by Jacob Budzinski
Kettle Moraine High School, Grade 12
Animation, 1:00 min

• It’s always useful to have an anti-drug, as the commercials tell us. This one comes out of the sink! Jacob is a second-year animation student.

“Stop”

Directed by Michael Gerrity
Milwaukee High School of the Arts, Grade 11
Narrative Short, 12:18 min

• What could happen if we stopped and recognized the humanity of each person we passed on the street each day? In this short, a Boy and a Girl discover that they have more in common than they thought. Michael got his start in film in Golda Meir’s Video Year Book Club, and now plans to go to college for acting and film. He has created many films for classes and for school events.

“The Tables Have Turned”

Grade 9 Project Supervised by Dominic Inouye
Pius XI High School
Literary Adaptation, 14:30 min

• In this non-juried entry, a group of kids dares to enter the haunted school that no one ever comes out of alive. Inside, they discover their friends and encounter the killer. A daring, not-to-be-missed social commentary on the state of education in America today. The students of this Freshman English class each wrote short stories, then voted on one to film. They learned how to add important detail to their stories by all having a hand in the storyboarding of the film. Then they spent only 3 class periods filming hundreds of shots in and around the school!

“Teen Relationships: A Survey”

Directed by Xavier Fields
Community High School
Documentary, 4:46 min

• Created for a class assignment on American teen culture, this interview-based documentary explores teenagers’ perspectives on relationships, love, and sex.

“Three Suits”

Directed by Kyle Richards
Menomonee Falls High School, Grade 11
Narrative Short, 14:21 min

• Nick, Nelson, and Marv are three down-on-their-luck guys who’ve just graduated from high school but have no money to move on with. After a graduation party, the three have breakfast at a local diner and discuss the future, but things take an unexpected turn. An homage to Tarantino. In addition to creating movies, he also pursues his lifelong loves of writing, directing, acting, and singing. He has two full-length movie scripts waiting to go into production.

“Traum Boan”

Directed by Adam Loeding & Jesse Miller
Cudahy High School, Grades 12 & 11
Experimental, 4:03 min

• This film explores through image, word, and sound the idea that neither good nor evil can exist without the other. Adam was inspired to start making films with friends like Jesse after taking Cudahy High’s Film & TV class. Adam plans to attend UWM for film and psychology.

“Waters Rising: Katrina Poetry Project”

Grade 10 Project Supervised by Portia Cobb, Community Media Project
Community High School
Documentary, 4:00 min

• This moving piece juxtaposes interviews with and oublic appearances of survivors of the Katrina disaster with original poetry written by Community High School students.

“WD-40″

Directed by Mike Cheslik
Whitefish Bay High School, Grade 9
Narrative Short, 10:00 min

• The film itself is a silent picture with a ragtime rhythm, but we’ve decided to share the meta-film Director’s Commentary instead, which is hilarious in its own right. This short explores the effects of WD-40 on otherwise civilized individuals. As we’ve said with several of the above films, do not try this at home! Mike’s other films include The Canadian Affair and Blink , which is also premiering at this festival.