From the Producer’s Studio

Clash of the Titans is the largest live IB student cinematic competition in the world, uniting outstanding international schools and top students from distinguished IB film programs. Hosted in the cinematic “City of Light”, Paris, this student film contest offers an extraordinary and memorable opportunity for aspiring filmmakers.

This year one SASPX team, consisting of Myra M., Angelina J., Maia R. and Eudora Z., swept the awards taking home the coveted Best Film award as well as Best Cinematography, Best Screenwriting and Best Use of Prop for their masterfully executed film “The Collector.”

The event is a fast-paced final challenge, where imagination, craftsmanship, and teamwork come together. Each school team must conceive, produce, and score an original short film within just 48 hours. The completed films premiere before a live audience at an off-campus theatre. Schools are carefully chosen for their exceptional high school filmmaking programs, ensuring the event is a showcase of top-tier talent and a celebration of artistic achievement in student filmmaking.

Established in 2007, the Shanghai Student Film Festival was created to provide students with a platform to present their filmmaking achievements. From capturing a biology project on camera to crafting an original narrative, S2F2 offers students in Shanghai and across the wider Asia region a genuine opportunity to share their work with fellow students and industry professionals. This year Terry Bamber, AD on numerous James Bond films and many others, was both a keynote speaker and a 4x4x4 judge.

The goal is to foster a culturally diverse environment with an international outlook, empowering and inspiring the next generation of filmmakers today. The festival has regular submissions in a variety of genres and an exciting 4x4x4 Challenge. In the latter, students are given a brief which includes a prop that must become an integral part of their story and a technical requirement such as a shot type, camera movement, or editing technique. They have four days to plan, four hours to film and four hours to edit. Alumni in the film industry/film related fields, as well as industry professionals judge the films. This year SASPX hosted the 4x4x4 event, providing a venue for 8 schools to edit and then see their films screened in the PAC.

One team, consisting of Kandi H., Victoria G., Chloe C. and Celeste L., reached 3rd place out of 16 4x4x4 films for their clever and amusing film “Be Your Own Essence.” Meanwhile Kandi H. and Victoria G. were highly commended for their Edgar Wright inspired “Run, Kid.”

Mr. James Snow, Film and Visual Arts Teacher