Lights! Camera! Action! Red Carpet Finale!!!
Your most difficult setbacks in life may one day become your greatest advantage. A standing room only crowd at the Kezar Falls theater was gifted with this wisdom through an unforgettable world premier at the first ever Smooth Feather Film School on August 20th, 2016. During the hour long event we found out the answer to our week long question:
“What would happen if we gave cameras to a group of kids from Kezar Falls, Maine.”
What happened surprised us all; they became servant leaders. The cameras opened a window into these young teenager’s darkest pain which they were able to harness to serve each other and the public.
The Red Carpet promenade as we once knew it was turned on its head and transformed into a highway of gratitude and service. The teary eyed young people walked down the red carpet to cheering onlookers and then immediately formed a receiving line welcoming every single guest who came to see their films.
After welcoming their guests they showed two films. "The List" is a romantic comedy about a first date gone terribly wrong. Laughter filled the theater as the stars Devyn and Savannah brilliantly turned awkward moments into a comedic sketch.
The second work was introduced by Savannah who was able to subtly sober our emotions for this very different film. The documentary “Free” showcased participants Tika and Alec who held nothing back as they allowed us to experience their feelings of loss and isolation.
This courageous group of seven were caretakers of the joy of their supporters, showing it is indeed true that “weeping may endure for a night…but JOY comes in the morning.”
The documentary ended on an uplifting note where both leads were able to experience a dream come true. Many lives were touched last night including a group of millennials vacationing in Porter from Massachusetts. They were invited by the kids who bravely went over to the island they were renting and invited them to come. And they came. After the film they sent me this note:
“The fact that everyone opened up and showed their true colors were great. A lot of us have similar upbringings and we were truly touched. Just wanted to show our appreciation and have your kids see how influenced we were by the night.”
If you simply tell a kid you believe in them you run the risk of instilling false confidence; giving them tools to succeed within a supportive infrastructure provides the kind of foundation they need to thrive. Last night we laughed together and we cried together and perhaps maybe a few in attendance were set free to believe that in some small way they too could make a difference in our world.
-David France, Smooth Feather Film School Staff Member