FORREST EMERY

Emery graduates from film school

posted 3/13/2006
Forrest Emery, a 2004 graduate of Friday Harbor High School, graduated in February from The Los Angeles Film School (LAFS) in Hollywood, CA having majored in directing, editing, and sound design. His 18-minute thesis film "A Moment in the Wee Hours of Now" was one of 15 films screened in the school's theater prior to the graduation ceremony.

Emery’s interest in film making was heightened in middle school while interviewing local film director Andrew V. McLaglen for a written assignment on career choices. During high school he attended two summer sessions at the Gulf Islands Film School on Galliano Island in British Columbia. He set his sights on LAFS when it opened in 1997 - a total emersion film school taught by working industry directors, editors, writers, and cinematographers.

Friday Harbor was well represented at the graduation. Emery’s mother Debbie, and Aunt and Uncle Emma and David Eden were on hand – along with FHHS graduates Ian Nixon (with his father Don), Hayley Bolstad, Jon Lawrence, and MacKenzie Raab.

Emery will continue to live in Hollywood "doing whatever it takes to break into the industry" he says. "Please thank the community for their scholarship support,"he asked. "It was put to very good use at LAFS."

Friday Harbor student's film script nominated for award

posted 04/25/02
Forrest Emery, a Friday Harbor High School sophomore, is a finalist for an Outstanding Achievement in Scriptwriting Award at the EyeLens 2002 Film, Video and Animation Festival. Only four of a possible 150 films were nominated for the screenwriting honor.

"I was very surprised, " Emery said of the nomination.

Emery, along with three other students, wrote, filmed and edited the short film last summer during a week at the Gulf Islands Film and Television School on Galiano Island, British Columbia. All of the school's films produced in 2001 -- including Emery's Vita Imperfecta -- can be viewed on www.GIFTSfilms.com.

The EyeLens' awards ceremony will be broadcast live on Friday, April 26 on www.GIFTSfilms.com/onscreen/festivaltheatre2002.html

CBC Radio 3's new site 120Seconds.com will feature the award-winning films and the site will feature The Best of the EyeLens Festival starting Monday, April 29. Viewers will be able to vote for their favorite film online. A CBC Radio 3 Internet Audience Award and a GIFTS scholarship will be awarded to the filmmaker or filmmakers whose films receive the most votes.

The script for Vita Imperfecta was Emery's first serious attempt at scriptwriting. "It was a lot more detailed than I thought it was going to be, " Emery said.

Emery, Linda Bui, Serena Desmarais and CJ Flower wrote the script in one day, filmed it in another and edited for 20 consecutive hours. "I love doing the work, so it makes it worth it, " Emery said.

The 16-year-old plans to return for another week of film study at GIFTS. "I'm really excited to be going back. It was the greatest week of my life, " he said.

After graduating high school, Emery hopes to attend film school in Los Angeles. "I want to be a director, " he said.

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