Locust Valley students win big at film festival

Three talented students from Locust Valley High School garnered top awards at the Locust Valley Film Festival, showcasing their exceptional filmmaking skills. Seniors Regan Kahn and Liam Grohman and junior Abigail Maselli stood out among participants from 16 schools, with their films receiving significant recognition.

Liam Grohman, inspired by French New Wave cinema, won Best in Show for his film “L’étranger Urbain” (The Urban Stranger). Grohman’s homage to Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless” featured meticulous sound design, impressing judges and earning first place in sound design.

“When there are 212 films going into it, you don’t want to get your expectations too high,” Grohman said. “I didn’t expect to win the Best in Show category, which was kind of crazy.”

Regan Kahn and Abigail Maselli’s collaborative film, “The Dinner,” secured first place in both comedy and editing categories. Their film, a unique blend of absurdist drama and comedy, captivated the audience and judges alike. Kahn, who edited the film, emphasized the challenges of communication and trust, as the duo worked in different IB film class levels.

“One big challenge for us probably was communication,” Kahn said. “Basically I’d sit down at my computer with the script and a bunch of notes, and then I’d just edit it and hoped she’d like it.”

Maselli, who wrote and directed “The Dinner,” drew inspiration from films like “Lady Bird” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” She highlighted the film’s conceptual risk and the challenge of coordinating a cast of mostly adults.

“Everything was filmed out of order, and completely out of sync, and that was kind of interesting to manage,” Maselli said. “It was a really challenging setup with a lot of moving parts.”

Despite initial concerns about how their film would be received, the duo’s creative risk paid off. Roger Boucher, their IB film teacher, praised the students’ dedication and collaborative spirit.

“Liam did not give up on this project at any phase. Where typically a high school student may have fallen off, he saw it all the way through,” Boucher said. “For Abby and Regan, this was the best collaboration that I’ve ever seen two students work on. There was a trust and respect for both of the filmmakers here that translated into it being a better project than either one of them would have made by themselves.”

Boucher emphasized that their successful festival, featuring 212 films across various categories, was a testament to the students’ hard work and creativity. Despite the quality of their work, the event itself was a mix of stress and excitement, with Maselli even leaving the theater while her movie was playing due to how nervous she felt.

With these substantial achievements under their belts, these students and aspiring filmmakers can look forward to pursuing their creative passions in college, and if they show the same dedication and imagination, perhaps even beyond.