New batch of film fest movies includes smart mockumentary

by John Hayes

Students at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, host of the Three Rivers Film Festival, will get a kick out of Kevin Kerwin's wry mockumentary about students and staff at a New York City film school.

On the first day of class, students describe why they're there and staff members gush about the school and the current crop of artsy kids. But as the characters develop, it becomes apparent that the school isn't at all what it claims to be, and "eccentric" doesn't quite describe the young filmmakers. One is an egomaniacal devotee of obscure French film; another is a couch-potato fan of Quentin Tarantino's explosions. A feminist extremist wants to document her angst, and the school's director is obsessed with the radiant sexuality of a mediocre talent.

The school term culminates with the presentation of the Filmic Achievement Award, given to the director of the best student film. Kerwin progressively builds anticipation for the unveiling of each student work. They're a hoot! "Filmic Achievement" is a comic train wreck of monumental egos, a film-school parody that, to some film students, may hit too close to home.