Ivy Wooldridge

Every Fall, Cañada students put their talent to the test and created films during Campus Movie Fest, the world’s largest student film festival for the next generation of filmmakers. The Cañada Campus Movie Fest, hosted by Cañada Student Senate, was a weeklong film competition where more than 200 students created and shared their stories. At the 2018 red carpet finale, the College selected the films “Heroism” and “PhotoCorpse” as the winners.

 

 

“Heroism”, created by Ivy Woolridge and Elizabeth Birdwell, is an inspiring film about love, hope, community and supporting others. Ivy and Elizabeth have traveled the world with their film, including a stop at the Cannes Film Festival in France, and we wanted to check in with them to hear about their success following their win at the Campus Movie Fest. 

You entered your film “Heroism” in the Campus Movie Fest here on campus, which eventually got you into the Short Film Corner at Cannes Film Festival. Congratulations on your success! What was the most challenging part of making your film in such a short amount of time?
Thank you so much! One of the greatest challenges, other than the short turnaround time, was just being unfamiliar with video equipment and some of the editing software. We were doing something that we weren’t super familiar with, so every step of the way was a steep learning curve. The type of movie we did - animation over live action - was pretty unusual and ambitious for a student film in this festival. What helped us the most was the background in animation we had from our classes at Canada. 

Do you two always collaborate on projects?
Not always, we do each have a few pet projects of our own, but we love working together and we get along really well. Sometimes we’re even mistaken for sisters! We’re not related but our families are very close - which makes it really convenient to work together logistically. Our parents have been very supportive, too, so it makes it easy to collaborate.

Are you planning on entering the Campus Movie Fest again?
Absolutely! We’re going to rock the Festival this year. We have the beginnings of an idea we love and we did some research that led us to an amazing resource we can use in this year’s film. No spoilers!

What was your favorite part about going to the Cannes Film Festival in France?
It was hugely educational. We couldn’t have done it without the support of a lot of people at Canada - the Digital Art and Animation Department especially, as well as the Student Government and even the Fashion Department. We learned so much in a short time about so many aspects of filmmaking and the marketplace. It was an invaluable and life-changing experience. Walking the red carpet and seeing film premiers was amazing, too!

Have you gone to any other film events?
Yes, we attended Terminus Film Festival in Atlanta, which is a big film and video game conference. We were nominated for a Golden Tripod for our editing as well as for Best Picture! We didn’t know we’d been nominated until the night of the awards ceremony. We didn’t win, but being nominated means that we were one of the top 5 student films in the entire nation. It was actually an honor just to be nominated!

What do you enjoy most about the Digital Art and Animation Program here at Cañada College?
What’s not to love? We have the best teachers, amazing classes, and a supportive environment to work and learn. The instructors really take a personal interest in our education and success. We really think the Animation Associate Degree here should be turned into a 4-year-degree, the program is just that good!

What inspires you?
I’ve found inspiration in many different areas throughout my life, My experiences and the people I’ve come to know have played hugely in what gives me the inspiration and drive to create. Other sources of inspiration can come from places like music, movies, and just being out in the world! There’s so much beauty in the world all around us.