When Movies Were Silent

The Student Silent Film Festival (SSFF) is a film competition in which students from eleven high schools created original motion pictures. Unlike other film competitions, however, the movies submitted will tell their stories in visual terms without the aid of voices or sound effects.

The festival takes place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at the Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Avenue, Downers Grove.

“This festival is a celebration of the art of silent cinema as well as a unique educational opportunity for contemporary young moviemakers,” said Ed Newmann of Hinsdale, one of three founders of the event. “It’s a way for young people to discover and appreciate the techniques and accomplishments of pioneering motion picture artists at the dawn of the moviemaking era.”

All submitted movies will be shown at the Student Silent Film Festival with live musical accompaniment by Derek Berg who is a professional pianist and CEO of the Clarendon Hills Music Academy. The musical scores will be performed on the SilentFilmtronic 2000, a uniquely designed keyboard rig that employs virtual instruments sampled from classic synthesizers circa 1950 - 1980. Berg’s original compositions will be inspired by the soundtracks from the Network series “Stranger Things.”

Participating high schools and media instructors:

• Lyons Township - Bill Allan
• Maine East - Phillip Ash
• Victor J. Andrew - Laura Robinson
• Riverside/Brookfield - Gary Prokes
• Vernon Hills - Sandy Martin
• Barrington - Jeff Doles
• Lake Forest - Steve Douglass
• Mundelein - Kent Meister
• Maine South - Mason Strom
• Neuqua Valley - John Gelsomino
• Alan B. Shephard - Jodi Pelini

The Silent Movie is an art form unto itself. The ability to tell a story in purely visual terms, without the aid of a synchronized soundtrack, is a special skill with its own set of challenges and opportunities.

Beginning in the mid-1910s, small suburban theatres employed a piano player, but large city theaters had massive theatre organs that had a wide range of special effects. Theatrical organs such as the famous "Mighty Wurlitzer" could simulate some orchestral sounds along with a number of percussion effects such as bass drums and cymbals and sound effects ranging from train and boat whistles to car horns and birdsong. Some could even simulate pistol shots, ringing phones, the sound of the surf, horses' hooves, smashing pottery, and thunder and rain.

“We believe it is important for the upcoming young moviemakers of today to understand and appreciate the art of cinema as it existed in the 1920s,” Newmann said. “At a time when almost anyone can create high-definition, stereophonic, sync-sound movies with a mobile device that fits in his or her pocket, many young people have little idea of the challenges faced by early filmmakers.”

Each school was given four weeks to create its silent film entry.

For the festival, a panel of judges — all professionals in the entertainment or art education industries – will select three winners based on the quality of the story narrative, development, camera work, lighting, and editing.

Each participant will be provided with an HD digital file of his or her movie with the accompaniment sound track.

“In addition to being an incomparable experience for all the participating students,” Newmann said, “the winning filmmakers will have powerful pieces of work for their portfolios.”

The public is invited to the film festival. Advance tickets are $18 and can be ordered at https://www.studentsilentfilmfestival.org/. Same day tickets are $25 at the door.