BASALT — It’s late on a Monday afternoon, but instead of leaving the school grounds, a handful of area students are just arriving at Basalt High School to put the finishing touches on an annual student-run film festival that is gaining state- and nationwide attention.

More than 60 films from throughout Colorado and from as far away as the East Coast were submitted to the 2008 Rocky Mountain Student Filmfest. A screening committee narrowed the selection to 24 films that will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 2, in the Basalt Middle School auditorium.

Films run less than 10 minutes each and fall into one of six categories: comedy, drama, original animation, documentary, artistic/experimental and action sports.

In its ninth year, the festival is completely run by students who handle the marketing, contacting schools and students, the initial screenings, programming, acting as liaisons with the judges, making the decisions, and presenting the festival itself.

Basalt High School senior Sophia Clark has been involved with the festival for three years. She was an actor for a fellow filmmaker this year and additionally took on many of the festival’s administrative duties.

“It’s been fun. I’ve enjoyed it,” Clark said. “I didn’t really expect to be in this position. It’s been a lot less stressful than past years. … I hope someone steps up to take it over next year because I’ve become very passionately involved with it.”

While Clark will attend college next year, she’s not sure she’ll study filmmaking. However, her experience organizing the film festival has been valuable.

“It’s mostly been empowering to know that students can organize something really prestigious. And to learn how to run a nonprofit will be a great experience to have had,” she added.

Another unique aspect of the festival is that it involves students from throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. Bridges High School junior Hannah Planalp spent Monday evening putting together student and film information for the program.

She, too, agreed that the experience has been useful on a personal level but also allows youth to show off a different set of skills.

“It helps build your organizational skills, helps you in being punctual and getting things done,” Planalp said. “Plus, our mission is to express your creativity through film. Not a lot of people in the community know students are doing this.”

Ben Fout, a senior-level home-schooled student, submitted his first film — a black-and-white silent film — four years ago.

“It was for a school project. We found a way to make a school project fun,” Fout said.

Basalt High sponsor and media specialist Kitty Riley noted that the film technology allows an additional way for students to express themselves.

“From the filmmaking end, I’ve seen kids that have trouble expressing themselves writing an essay can do it through film. It’s the same process. This other medium lets them show others what they’re thinking. It just helps them blossom,” Riley said.

Fout has loved filmmaking ever since his first “project.” He’s continued to produce, film, direct, write, and edit, using equipment that he has personally bought, and he also plans to pursue a career in filmmaking.

He was at Basalt High on Monday to help review the “final reel” for the festival, checking for any visual or auditory glitches before they screen Friday night.

His “Band of Brothers” will screen; it is a comedy about his band — “which is only me, so there are four of me playing off each other,” he explained.

“The Atrocity” is a “twist film” about a drug deal gone wrong, made by Fout and friend Brycen Fauser, a student at Rifle High School.

Fout has viewed the other film entries and predicts the festival is “going to be awesome” and will pinpoint some of the issues that affect youths.

“The issues are a lot different, and you’ll get to know those. You’ll get a perspective on youth,” he said.

<i<Admission for the festival is $5 at the door. For more information, call 384-5963.</i>