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In a captivating exploration of youthful creativity and ambition, “What Does Art Mean To You?” delves into the lives of high school art students, each driven by their unique passions and talents. Through a dynamic montage, we witness their early dedication to diverse artistic endeavors, from photography and sculpture to theater and music composition.

As the camera delves deeper, we uncover the inner workings of these young artists' minds through a series of intimate interviews. Against the backdrop of their bustling creative environment, a central question emerges: why art? Their responses reveal a profound spectrum of motivations, from personal expression to societal commentary.

Yet, as aspirations collide with the harsh realities of a professional art career, doubts loom large. Through the lens of seasoned artists turned instructors, we confront the sobering truths and challenges of pursuing art as a livelihood. Is the dream of an artistic career a bold pursuit or a naive gamble?

Our journey concludes, with the insightful reflections of original inquirer. We witness a transformative evolution in the student’s perspective. As they grapple with their once elusive answers, they confront the ultimate question: do they still choose art, and are they prepared to chase their passion beyond the confines of high school?

In a stirring blend of introspection and inspiration, “What Does Art Mean To You?” offers a poignant exploration of the enduring power of art and the unwavering spirit of those who dare to create.

Wartime winter Kyiv. Maryna, a girl detective, is searching for missing people with her partner, an IT expert. This time a little girl has disappeared, and searching for her Maryna has to go through a mysterious quest. This is a mystical detective story about a childhood lost in the war.

Personal video essay depicting the hardships and lessons the director went through with climbing.

Remi (Pumpkin) the rat's great ability to cook is taken advantage of by Linguini (Abigail Waldo) and together they make a traditional dish of Ratatouille. This film is inspired by Pixar's Ratatouille. This was my first film and i'm very happy with it.

The film I created is about feeling unsure about who I am as an artist. For all of my life, art has been. All my life art to me was about technical ability and aesthetics. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve felt that my work feels empty and boring. This film takes place in a barn, with the person in the film wanting to leave the barn through the door. I made the door lead outside, having the light shine through the cracks of the door. Leaving the barn to me would be to leave my small town and find who I am. Maybe reaching some kind of “enlightenment” I guess. Moving to Minneapolis felt like finally beginning a new part of my life, like finally leaving the barn. But in this film, knowing I was moving away soon, I felt so close to this new beginning. But I wasn’t there yet, causing the barn door I finally reached to be locked. I guess I just couldn’t wait.
My dream is to be a professional artist, but I don't want to be someone who works to create someone else's art. I want to tell my story and tell stories I feel are interesting. I feel with my focus on the aesthetic side art, it feels like something you look at on Instagram for 3 seconds and forget about in 10 minutes, which I just feel isn't fulfilling.
I shot my film with my DSLR camera, and edited it in Davinci Resolve. I also added a small amount of 2D animation because I enjoy doing many different mediums. Each shot of the film has a bit of a different look from the last so I feel the film doesn’t have a consistent look, but that was more intentional representing how more recently I’ve been doing so many different things, experimenting with what I like, as well as the fact that I’m not sure what I like, or who I am as an artist. I also created the music for the film kind of out of necessity. The music I originally wanted to use just didn’t work with my film so I decided to make it myself.

Out Of Sight Out Of Mind is a cartoon about creative process and change. The main character of this story is Me, and what I was like when I was younger and how I tried to express myself and implemented my art in my everyday life. However, I was awkward, fearful and inconsiderate. All these elements of this character are shown by her lack of facial expressions and her body language. When she finds an advertisement about free therapy she’s more excited about it being “Free.” If given the chance again with it costing a few bucks or so, she would not be as invested and would have never considered therapy in the first place. When she goes to the address in the newspaper advertisement, it's a sketchy and dirty apartment complex. She's hesitant but the idea of “Free” in her mind is what keeps her going. A man opens the door, a man with a bulging head, a creepy smile that goes from ear to ear, a man that doesn’t even look close to the image that's on his advertisement! The worst thing about this..thing is the large pulsating veins that are engraved on its forehead…“Tinny.”

What kind of funked up name is that?

This terrifying experience is a chance for her to reflect on her person, who she used to be, who she is and what she will become. For better or worse. With all the imagery I incorporated in this piece, I wanted to focus on how experiences and knowledge help you grow as a person, no matter if they are negative, positive or neutral. Because change is inevitable and I really wanted to express that in every aspect of this piece.

Change is scary, change is enjoyable, change is boring, change is freedom, change is life.

A man debates with himself whether or not he should go on a date.

A glimpse into the inner journey of Edie, a set-in-her-ways nomad who learns to hold space for another after suffering the loss of her past partner.