Kaleigh Atkinson
I submitted Happily Ever After, a music video, in 2005, Battle of the Bands: Twitch Kids, a live event video, for my second submission in 2006. I liked that the festival gave kids in high school credit and a chance to share their work with others who were passionate about film/video/creating in general. It was a great experience and led to friendships, collaborations, and familiar faces now that I’m actually in film school. Since Spotlight 2005, I’ve learned a lot. I’m attending UWM’s Peck School of the Arts for a BFA in film. Thus far I have made a number of things, from videos to handmade films to photography. My latest projects have been Hello Buffalo, a video inspired by my bed. And currently I am working on A Morning With Emma and Opa, about a morning spent with my good friend Emma and her cat Opa. I just want to keep creating and having fun while doing so. I was originally worried that by going to an experimental film school I would have to make films that I didn’t necessarily want to make. However, the instruction here may not be Hollywood-style but there is a passion floating through the air and a drive to get our messages heard that is incredibly refreshing. I would like to continue with that in mind as I journey toward becoming a filmmaker.

Evan Atwood
My first Spotlight film, Impersonator II, won the Grand Prize and Best Narrative awards in 2005. The crew of that film had just formed Old Monk Productions, which continues to offer a variety of video services that are tailored to fit the community’s video needs at lower costs. We specialize in wedding and sports videography. I am currently a film student (‘ 09) at Columbia College, Chicago, but take on many other roles besides student. For instance, I’ve been a teacher at the Kenu Christian Artists Camp, a new opportunity for young Christian artists (ages 15 to 25) to receive high-quality training in acting, dance, voice, strings, film and writing. I am producing a short film called Out of Nothing, writing a feature family film about a leprechaun who follows an Irish family over from Ireland to Wisconsin hoping to get his gold coin back, and I am going to LA for Columbia’s semester program in September 2008. And finally, I recently directed and wrote the independent film Solitaire, which had a cast and crew of over 50 people (see photo to the right…that’s me in the middle!). It premiered at the Times Theater in Milwaukee and earned entry into the National Film Festival for Talented Youth and The Beloit International Film Festival. It’s really cool to see that the festival is still working with high school students in Milwaukee. Good luck and keep growing it!

Annie (Morgan) Kastner
My 2005 Spotlight film, the music video I Promise, won Best Music Video. I really liked Spotlight because it was my first opportunity to show my work on a larger scale and really inspired me to continue my filmmaking as a possible career. Now Morgan Kastner, I’ve learned a lot since 2005. I’ve been studying in the film department of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but I have learned the most from actually getting out there and working on my own projects. I have continued to make music videos, as well as delve into narrative and experimental shorts. My experimental short film Remnants of Life was featured at the Smart Film Festival in Grand Rapids. Now, I am currently working on and casting my first feature-length film, which will be a fantasy mystery adventure. All of my projects can be seen on YouTube at Morgan Kastner, Eclipse Onyx Sun, and Lesley Anne Raven. Also, I have many still images and other information on my website, Ninot Productions.

Kyle Olson
I was a founding member of Milwaukee Spotlight. I submitted several entries: Star Wars: The Lost Episode, A Documentary on the Inauguration of George W Bush, and The ABCs of Milwaukee, and his latest entry, Give Me Back My Grades, a music video I created at South Milwaukee High School during my senior year. He also produced a 2-hour feature film that spoofed the classic James Bond 007 movies, in celebration of his graduation year, 2007. When Spotlight offered film workshops the second year, I assisted in many different events when it came to teaching students (and adults) about advanced film concepts, such as green screens and editing programs like Adobe Premiere Pro. Spotlight helped me to learn more about the “ways of filmmaking.” Like any hobby or job, one must become familiar with the process before going out and immediately applying yourself. The festival helped me to open and expand my horizons, and receive valuable input from industry professionals, as well as from average citizens of Milwaukee County that came to lend their thoughts as audience members. Since the last festival, I have been very busy. Over the past summer, I moved to California to continue my love and passion for film. I am currently attending Columbia College, Hollywood, pursuing a major in TV/Film Directing. Since I arrived in California, I have been working on numerous small and large projects, both for school and personal amusement. I was also one of the final 2 selected to be a Multimedia Producer on the hit reality show, Big Brother 9, at CBS. While I did not get the job, I gained a ton of valuable experience of how the industry is going to be in the future. I have also had the chance to work on set of many hit shows, including Desperate Housewives. My goals (in relation to filmmaking) are simple: to become a success in the industry of TV and Film. With high hopes of being a director, there is obviously a lot of work ahead, but I am ready to push and fight for the long-term goal…and hopefully, before too long, you’ll see me at the Oscars!

Billimarie Robinson
I submitted the documentary Sugar Water in 2007 in the Beyond Wisconsin category. What I liked about the festival was the in-depth analysis provided by the judges. I still have the form with the list of critiques about Sugar Water (the pros and cons, so to speak) since it was helpful. I also liked the great communication between myself and the people involved in the festival; living a few states away, I couldn’t make it to the actual screenings but I felt very involved in the process regardless. Since then, I have learned about the workings of festivals, what to do and what not to do (regarding stock footage, photos, music, general copyrights). I’ve learned about networking, I’ve met some very interesting people. I’ve learned that filmmaking is what I want to do. I’m currently a second-year student at CSUN (Cal State University, Northridge) who is double-majoring in English (Creative Writing) and Film (Multimedia). I’ve been making movies like clockwork; whether it be something to post on YouTube or actual school projects, I’ve been busy. I’m applying to a Summer Arts program at CSU Fresno this summer (trying to get a scholarship so I can attend their six-week film program). I’ll be a Multimedia major next fall, and I’ll be learning more about After Effects and other computer/video-art related subjects. I’ve been entering in a lot of video competitions; the latest one was a “lip-sync” contest for my favorite band Motion City Soundtrack, which ended up winning the Band Favorite award. In the future, I want to work closely with the new multimedia/digital-video area. I love the idea of filmmaking-meets-computers, of technology and video. I hope to one day create some kind of business/non-profit which can benefit people like me who are in love with the Digital Age as well as the Arts. I have a YouTube channel with a few of my “silly” stuff…Check it out at YouTube!

J.P. Russell
As a senior and president of the Film Society at Pius XI High School in 2005, I was one of the founding members of Milwaukee Spotlight, known then as FilmFest. My entry that year The Judge. What I liked about the festival was that it was a place for people my age to get out there and show their work. There are not may outlets for high school kids to exhibit their works to others and it always feels good to have you work shown. Plus, it was an amazing learning experience. You got to see a lot of different ideas from a lot of different people your age. Each year, the festival brings together all the local, young filmmakers without any peer pressure or fears going into it. Everyone is treated equally. Everyone gets his or her time in the spotlight (pardon the pun) and everyone gets to learn. Since then I have learned a ton. Seriously, Spotlight really inspired me to work really hard on further projects. I remember seeing films that were better produced than mine. It was a very humbling experience. I was not jealous or angry but rather I wanted to make something just as good. Spotlight taught me that you are never the best and never the worst, you’re just yourself (and that’s cool). That has kept me on track in recent years. Currently, I’m studying film at UW-Oshkosh. I’m VP of 2 film clubs, which keeps me busy. In my spare time I do music videos for bands in Milwaukee. Just last week I finished directing my semester project for the university, which was an adaptation of the Hemingway story The Killers. I’m still thinking about the future. I would like to open up my own studio in Milwaukee, but I still have a few years until I graduate so it’s just a thought for now.

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