Film Festival Extends Invitations to Local Celebrities

Ryan Gosling has been invited to the Film Festival for the second time this year.

The movies for the 2011 Film Festival are well on their way to being finished, and the festival is quickly approaching. To make this year’s festival even more special than the festivals before, Mr. Michael Alan, the teacher that runs the film program, has invited celebrities to walk the red carpet and be on the judging panel for the student produced films.

Since 2003, the Film Festival has only been getting better. Each year, the movies improve; crews learn what to do and what not to do from the students who came before them, and the top shelf scripts continue to be developed. Many students come to the festival to see the projects their peers have been working on each year, but, this year, there might be some very famous faces walking the red carpet.

Matt Damon, Mark Whalberg, the Farrelly brothers, Marcia Cross, Barbara Walters and President Barack Obama are among the thirty celebrities invited to the Film Festival and asked to be on the judging panel. They can choose to judge the films by watching them on DVD or they can make an appearance on the red carpet. Junior Rebecca Goula said “she would love if the background of her phone, Ben Affleck, came to watch her movie.” When asked who would be most likely to attend Mr. Alan said, “I’m hoping Mark Wahlberg will come. He likes to give back to the community. That’s what he said on 60 minutes, unless he was lying on 60 minutes.” In the past, “we tried to get the Patriots and Ryan Gosling to come,” but they never came, Mr. Alan said, “this year we’re after legitimate celebrities.” Hopefully this year will start a trend of famous faces on the Walpole Film Festival’s red carpet and give the film program the attention it deserves. Mr. Alan said “We just hope that because we are a public high school with a unique film festival program that a celebrity will help make the experience even more unforgettable for the students just by being involved. Most of all though, we would like their professional opinion on the quality of these movies.”

Obviously, if these celebrities choose to take part in Walpole High School’s Film Fesitval, the works of young film students will be thrown into the spotlight.  However, the true value of these celebrities’ appearing at the Film Festival is not publicity but the advice that could be given to Walpole High’s young film students. Their opinions and criticism will help the students learn from their mistakes and about the professional movie industry. The participation of these marquee members of the movie industry would benefit the future of Walpole’s Film Festival.