The first Falcon Media Festival will feature videos, animations and other digital media creations by dozens of Fulmore Middle School students on Saturday, May 21, an event made possible by support from the Austin Film Society, the Alamo Draft House, school administrators, parents and other supporters.

The red carpet will roll out from 9 a.m.-noon at Alamo Draft House, 1120 South Lamar. Students from grades 6-8 have entered videos or digital projects, some made specifically for the festival, others completed for various classes. Examples include Eat Insects Day, a short video showing how students faced their food fears and enjoyed unusual fare during a philosophy class lesson on food and cultures. The student video Zombies plumbs a perennial pop culture favorite, showing an army of middle school students lurching menacingly across the playground. See these and other student works on the Falcon Media Network on YouTube.

The festival will screen entries in a series of categories, punctuated by live performances, including: ANIMATIONS, ICKY & GORY, DOCUMENTARIES, HALFTIME SHOW (live music by Fulmore 8th graders Bomani & Zaiden, a live-action comic book performance by students Clair & Gracie, and a live BeatBox performance by former Fulmore student Damon Meredith), SOCIAL AWARENESS, and IPHONE/IPOD TOUCH-MADE MEDIA.

The festival is made possible through generous parent support such as event planning, computers donations, service and repair, as well as Fulmore administrator support. In addition, there has been ongoing instructional and technical assistance from the Austin Film Society, through the After School Films Classes program taught by Johnny Stranger. Video and Mac technician Ben Vargas also volunteered many hours for the after school program. Sponsor Alamo Draft House is providing the festival venue.

For more information, news media may contact: Vinnie Harris, Fulmore Middle School digital media instructor, (512) 619-9642 or brainbackbend2010@gmail.com.

(News outlets are encouraged to come cover the festival, but due to limited space the event is not open to the public. Fulmore students, parents and friends are expected to fill the theater.)