The Running Bull Film Festival

Photo from the Carolina Theatre of Durham

The theatre lights dimmed on April 23rd as several students from Jordan shared their short films at the Carolina Theatre for the Running Bull Film Festival. This started with the innovative ideas of Mr. Albright, who teaches Creative Writing and Innovation Lab classes as Jordan, Ms. Thaden, an art teacher at Jordan, and Shana Adams, who works as the Senior Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Carolina Theatre. 

Other than their support, the festival is almost entirely student run. Their goal was to create a vibrant environment that would support creativity and student productions. Student Committee President of the festival, Curtis Berzofsky, says that the festival “hopes to grow soon to the whole state.” The rest of the student committee includes Maira Magwene (Vice President), Jada-Lee Chung (Secretary and Social Media Manager), Daiyu Cosmey (Social Media and Outreach), Cadence Page (Treasurer and Social Media Strategist), and Pete Vines (Community Outreach). 

Before the start of the festival, I talked to Ms. Thaden, who told me that she worked with Shana on a film project with elementary schools during the beginning of the pandemic. Later, when she consulted with Mr. Albright, she said that sparked some of her inspiration for Jordan’s festival. The three founders each gave separate speeches before the films started. They talked about how it was a joy to work with the students and how they hoped to push the boundaries of filmmaking to create an even bigger community of young filmmakers. They emphasized the importance of expressing one's dreams, opinions, and ideas.

Then, it was time to watch some short films. The original lineup included 27 student-made films but was cut down to 19 to keep the show no more than two hours long. These films were an even mix of narrative and documentary. The films consisted of life lessons, photo collages, comedy skits, and more.

At the end of the viewing, the audience was given a moment to think about their favorite films and vote in a Google Form. The audience's favorite film was “Awakening of Gratitude” by Reem Abazid, a film representing the importance of gratitude, where the protagonist is left to fend for herself without family and friends, before waking up from that nightmare and changing the way she treats the people around her. The second award was given to the narrative “Salad Days” by Pete Vines. This film, about two childhood friends growing apart as they grew older and how they learned to accept that fact, was voted on by a panel of professional filmmakers. 

Everyone who took part in the festival urged others to participate by letting their creativity loose, too, or to simply help fuel the passion of student filmmakers. They wish for a future where the festival grows, maybe even to multiple nights of films, which is the wish of Ms. Thaden. To help them reach their goals, donate at the link on 

Jordan’s Innovation Lab website!