Mad Royal Film Festival to showcase students’ cinematic creations at the Wexner Center

The Mad Royal Film Society will be holding their 4th annual short film festival in the Film/Video Theatre at the Wexner Center for the Arts March 22 to showcase the works of student filmmakers on campus. Credit: Courtesy of the Mad Royal Film Society/ Jeremy Schwochow

The student organization Mad Royal Film Society will hold its fourth annual short film festival in person come the end of the month. 

After being held virtually in 2021, the Wexner Center for the Arts will present the Mad Royal Film Festival March 22 at 7 p.m. in its Film/Video Theater. Emily Miller, a third-year in moving-image production and president of the Mad Royal Film Society, said the festival allows students to submit short films that will be sifted through by the organization and compiled into a 90-minute program, complete with awards for the best films in several categories.

“The purpose of the Mad Royal Film Society is to encourage students to create,” Miller said. “We have a wide range of students from all majors and backgrounds who just love to create and talk about films.”

Layla Muchnik-Benali, film and video curatorial associate at the Wexner Center, said the Mad Royal Film Society reached out to the Wexner Center to host the event following a positive experience with the center’s film program.

“I am really excited to be able to support a student-run film festival at the Wex, and I am really excited to see something that was made for and by OSU students,” Muchnik-Benali said.

Miller said any Ohio State student, regardless of major, was allowed to submit a short film to the organization for the festival. According to the Wexner Center’s website, awards are decided on by staff and alumni from the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts and given to films and filmmakers in different categories.

“We have awards for best editing, best cinematography, and we recently added a category for best animation because we get so many animations,” Miller said. “So it’s a really diverse program with a lot of different awards that can fit into the many types of films that are submitted.”

Muchnik-Benali said she supports the mission of the Mad Royal Film Society because she appreciates when students take the initiative to create communities centered around art.

“Students have a really unique perspective at OSU as people who are learning but also making,” Muchnik-Benali said. “And so within the Mad Royal Film Society, I think you find a really interesting combination of those perspectives.” 

Miller said being a part of the Mad Royal Film Society allowed her to find an outlet for her creative and emotional needs while also introducing her to many people who shared a passion for the same things she did.

“We grow every year, and every year it feels like a little family because we meet every week, work on productions together, sometimes we just have grueling hours editing stuff together,” Miller said. “And it’s just a really great way to not only have a creative outlet but form connections with other people who share a passion with you as well.” 

Miller said she encourages members of the community to attend the Mad Royal Film Festival so they can see work from some of Ohio State’s most creative and talented individuals.

“Obviously student films happen when you’re in a student film organization, but we still have tons of people submitting things that aren’t involved with the club and just love to create, so it’s a great way to experience the arts at OSU,” Miller said.

Many of last year’s video submissions can still be viewed on the Mad Royal Film Society’s official YouTube channel, Miller said.

The event is free to attend, but prospective attendees must reserve a spot by securing a free ticket ahead of time. More information regarding the Mad Royal Film Festival can be found on the Wexner Center’s website.