The Locust Valley High School took home 19 of 41 awards at its 19th annual film festival, judged by industry officials. The festival, which 13 surrounding school districts attended, received over 200 submissions and awarded the first-place students with film program scholarships at Five Towns College this summer.
“It’s about the process, not product. If you’re doing the right thing, it comes to you,” said Roger Boucher, one of the film teachers at the high school. It’s a phrase that Boucher, who is in charge of the festival, has said to each of his incoming classes at the beginning of the school year.
If the awards are anything to go by, the Locust Valley film students’ product is, in fact, “the right thing.”
Boucher said he has been involved in the film festival for nine years and in that time has seen student growth each year.
“It’s amazing how it’s developed over these nine years,” he said. “The kids have gotten so much better every year.”
This year the Locust Valley Film Festival hailed 13 school districts from across Long Island with some students coming from Riverhead to attend. In recent years, Boucher said there have even been Northern New Jersey students in attendance.
Categories in the competition included animation, comedy, commercial, drama, horror, music video, public service announcement and trailer, which were judged by industry professionals Kory Diskin, Rob Graydon, Colin Hickey, John Marean and Debra Markowitz.
In addition to the genre categories, Boucher said there are technical categories as well, including cinematography, directing, editing and sound design. He said the technical awards were a more recent addition to the festival for students who “went above and beyond in learning their craft.”
Winners of all categories receive full scholarships to the 2025 Summer Scholars program at Five Towns College.
“I think it’s been great because the kids that want to go further and just do this more get a chance to do it in the off months,” Boucher said. He said the summer program, in turn, helps students raise the bar and produce better content in the future.
Boucher said each of the 13 school districts has different strengths, with some schools being more film-oriented and others more broadcasting-oriented than others. He said having different programs and students interact with each other helps integrate different ideas and styles.
“Everybody loves getting awards and holding a trophy, but that’s not what it’s really about. It’s about the growth and being able to do something that is so authentic,” Boucher said.
Boucher said a majority of the Locust Valley submissions were from students enrolled in film courses, with the exception of one animation film.
“She had not done animation before, and she took the challenge on to do it,” he said.
Boucher said the festival received about 230 submissions, some 70 of which were screened at the awards.
“Just getting into the festival is a huge accomplishment,” he said.
Locust Valley students took home 19 of the 41 awards this year, including the Audience Choice Award-winning PSA “Say No to Nic!” and Best in Show “Pianissimo.” Abigail Maselli, the high school’s salutatorian and the creator of “Pianissimo,” will have her film screened at the 28th Annual Long Island International Film Festival in July.
Boucher said many students from Locust Valley and surrounding districts leave the festival feeling inspired to make something new, which is exactly what he strives to achieve.
“We’re raising the bar continually,” Boucher said.
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