About | Yale College Arts

The Yale Student Film Festival (YSFF) is an emerging student-run short film festival, providing the opportunity for university-level filmmakers, both foreign and domestic, to exhibit their work.

YSFF takes place annually at Yale University in New Haven, CT. The three-day-long event will include feature film screenings, workshops, and panels led by Yale alumni in the entertainment industry, culminating in a competitive student block and awards ceremony.

Founded in 2015, the festival began as a collaboration between the Yale Film Alliance, Yale Film Study Center, Yale Film and Media Studies Program, Films at the Whitney, and the Yale College Dean’s Office to highlight the small, but growing community of filmmakers on Yale’s campus, who create work outside of a traditional film school environment.

The festival celebrates emerging student work from those taking the first steps towards a professional career, and aims to provide a platform to encourage conversation and camaraderie across schools and experiences. In the liberal arts tradition, we aim to bridge film with relevant social and intellectual issues.

The festival features three separate student competitions: the narrative film competition, the documentary film competition, and the experimental film competition. It will also feature a works-in-progress category, designed to showcase work in various post-production phases, and will be an opportunity to receive feedback from peers and professionals. The Yale Filmmakers Block and the Yale Thesis Films Block bookend the student screening and showcase work by our very own students. Filmmakers can submit their work on the YSFF Film Freeway page.

Inquiries?

theyalestudentfilmfestival@gmail.com

Contact

	Co-President, Yale Film Alliance Jake Jorgl, Jonathan Edwards College ‘23 jake.jorgl@yale.edu
	Co-President, Yale Film Alliance Julia Arancio, Davenport College ‘23 julia.arancio@yale.edu
	Festival Director Pilar Galvan, Benjamin Franklin College ‘22 Pilar is a senior majoring in Anthropology and Art. She loves watching psychological thrillers and music documentaries. She makes experimental films and alternative r&b music. She is inspired by the work of Oskar Fischinger, Jordan Peele, and Questlove.
	Associate Director Carla Decombes, Pauli Murray College ‘23 carla.decombes@yale.edu Carla Decombes is a junior majoring in History of Art and Cognitive Science. She had been involved with the YSFF since her first-year and found her passion for film early in life. Growing up in Paris, she spent most of her times at the cinema. She works at the YUAG and has been involved in the art world at Yale and abroad. Her favorite director is Wes Anderson.
	Programming Director Marc Bertoni, Trumbull College ‘23 marc.bertoni@yale.edu Marc Bertoni is a Junior majoring in Film and Media Studies. His favorite film is Little Shop of Horrors.
	Treasurer Gaspard Baroudel, Ezra Stiles College ‘23 gaspard.baroudel@yale.edu Gaspard is a Junior who is majoring in Economics and Math. He is happy to be our Treasurer! He is currently watching Ted Lasso and the last movie he watched was Dune.
	Technical Coordinator Oscar Sweeting, Grace Hopper College ‘24 oscar.taperell@yale.edu Oscar is a sophomore majoring in Art. On Wednesdays you can find him working at the front desk of the Yale Film Archive. His favourite film is Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
	Graphic Designer Laura Padilla, Silliman College ‘22 Laura is a senior Graphic Design Art major who loves donuts, green, and tiny tea cups. Their future career plan is to work at a design consultation firm that focuses on brand identity and logo creation.
	Event Coordinator Ethan Foster, Pierson College ‘22
	Event Coordinator Grace Campos, Trumbull College ‘23 grace.campos@yale.edu Grace Campos is a junior and a Theater and Performance Studies major from NYC. Growing up as a child actor, she quickly became infatuated with all things film and music. Inspired by her family in Mexico City, she is a particularly big fan of the Mexican golden age of cinema and would do anything for Gael Garcia Bernal.
	Event Coordinator Renée Theodore, Pierson College ‘24 renee.theodore@yale.edu Renée is a sophomore from San Francisco, California majoring in Film and Media Studies. The last movie she watched was The Phantom of the Paradise and her favorite screenwriter is Mike Mills.
	Publicity Coordinator Amelia Browne, Davenport College ‘24 amelia.browne@yale.edu Amelia Browne is an English major from Santa Barbara, California! At Yale, she’s a member of the Varsity Women’s Volleyball Team. She loves reading, writing, and watching movies – her favorite is The Family Stone.
	Publicity Coordinator Eva Herman, Jonathan Edwards College ‘23 eva.herman@yale.edu Eva Herman is a History of Art major from Santa Barbara, California and Geneva, Switzerland. She is an avid film watcher, and always on the hunt for new favorites in any genre or language. Recently she has loved Another Round, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and I Am Love.
	Publicity Coordinator Nicole Westfall, Grace Hopper College ‘23 nicole.westfall@yale.edu Nicole Westfall is a junior majoring in Film and Media Studies from Manila, Philippines. She loves crosswords, breakfast, tropical plants, and her nine dogs, and believes that feeling a film is as important as understanding it. Her favorite directors are Kogonada, Xavier Dolan, Sofia Coppola, and Hirokazu Kore-eda. Find her on Wednesday and Thursday mornings working at the Yale Film Archive.
	Webmaster Michael Blank, Grace Hopper College ‘22 Michael is a Computer Science and Film Major in Grace Hopper College. He is always looking for new ways to blend the worlds of film and technology. His favorite movie is The Aquatic Life of Steve Zissou.