The Digital Video Club held their 14th annual film festival, Cinemadness, at Bow Tie Cinemas in Red Bank on Thursday, May 16. Attendees were able to watch the student-made films in the theater.

Sophomore Ravenna Gemignani of Oceanport made her second appearance in the festival. Gemignani has a strong passion for making short films, and this year she incorporated a unique twist to her film.

“For my show, I did a stop motion animation… most people take live videos,” Gemignani said. “I was inspired by several Spanish artists like Salvador Dali, Picasso, and Joan Miró.”

After the films were presented, the club gave out awards for different categories including “Best Abstract/Experimental Film,” “Best Music Video,” “Best Animation,” “Best Comedy” and more. Senior Jackie Siminerio of Manalapan was awarded a partial scholarship to the New York Film Academy, as well as admittance into their festival with her film “Pretty Girl.”

Digital Video teacher and club adviser David Salowe enjoyed Cinemadness because he was able to witness his own students succeed. He felt as if it was rewarding to watch all of their hard work pay off.

“The best part of the festival is watching the students see their films on the big screen,” Salowe said. “While it’s fun to watch stuff in school or on Youtube, there’s something magical about seeing your work projected in a real theater.”