Seven SD filmmakers recently headed to New York City, joining more than 1,500 of their peers from around the world at the Oscars of high school cinema: the All-American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF). This year, San Domenico had a school-record seven films featured in the competition across multiple categories.
“All the films were so good. Competition was fierce, but in a good way.”
Kate E. ’25, director
Students spent three days in Manhattan where they watched their films on the big screen in Times Square at the busiest movie theater in America. They networked with filmmakers from around the world, met college representatives from across the country, toured Greenwich Village and New York University, attended filmmaking workshops, and enjoyed a dinner and dance cruise on the Hudson River. The weekend culminated at the end of the weekend with the Teen Indie Awards Show—the biggest student film awards show in the world—featuring a red carpet, special celebrity presenters, live musical performances, and of course, the revealing of category nominees and winners.
SD Films Featured in the 2024 All-American High School Film Festival
- Candlelight by Audrey M. ’26 and Liza K. ’26 - Horror
- Falling For You by Kate E. ’25 - Drama
- The Gift by Brendan B.-S. ‘28 - Middle School
- Killer Love by Vienna S. ’24 - Horror
- To Be Honest by Joaquin F. ’24 - Drama
- UFO by Audrey M. ’26 and Ted M. ’26 - Comedy
- Vivi il L’attimo by Liza K. ’26 - Adventure/Travel
“Attending the film festival in New York was one of my most transformative experiences at SD. My favorite moment was taking a quiet moment on a bench in Central Park with [Director of Music] Rob DeNunzio.”
Gary Q. ’25, director and composer
“Being accepted into the AAHSFF is a major achievement for any budding filmmaker,” explains Director of Digital Arts Harry Maxon, who accompanied the students on their trip to the Big Apple. “This will help shape their careers to come.” As a case in point, on the strength of her past All American successes, SD junior Audrey M. ’26 was selected to attend the Duemila30 festival in Milan this summer, honoring 200 filmmakers from around the globe who are using film to drive social change. “This is just one example of how our film program strives to lay a path for our students to connect their passions with purpose,” continues Maxon, “using their creativity to express themselves and make an impact in the world.”
“Seeing my face and my work on the big screen was a monumental experience. Plus, having dinner at sunset with the sun reflecting off New York’s cityscape was an actual cinematic moment.”
Liza K. ’26, actor
So far this season, SD student films have played in more than 20 festivals, from Turkey to Tennessee, including the Mill Valley Film Festival, Topanga Film Festival, and the San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival. Beyond being accepted into these festivals—an honor in and of itself—filmmakers Ted M. ’26, Tobi D. ’26, and Audrey M. ’26 won the award for best cinematography for their film UFO, while Mila D. ’27 won the Flying Pig award for Outstanding Achievement in Film Activism for her film Progress Report, courtesy of the Topanga Film Festival.
“This trip opened doors and sparked dreams of a future in the film industry, and surpassed all of my expectations. My favorite moment was walking into the King’s Theatre with the marquee lit up with letters spelling ‘Teen Indie Awards Show’….it just felt so good to be there.”
Ted M. ’25, cinematographer
We can’t share the films yet while they are on the festival circuit, but you can check out our students’ posts from their trip to New York City on our SD Instagram account.
Congratulations one and all!
