It’s not a dream.

by Cheryl David
2012 Student Delegate

Hi. Cheryl here.

: Photo by Albert Law

You may have seen me in many films this 30th Asian American Film Festival. Well, film screenings.

Student delegates, aka the band of badge-carrying superfriends, pound the pavement from theatre to theatre, claim our seats, and try to absorb it. Led this year by a one Mordecai Stanton, we make the most of our time viewing film, and the amount of artistry unleashed on my mind becomes beautiful chaos consumed quickly and digested in afterthoughts.

I am a past volunteer. I can say I see images of people that look like me, But this time its different, I can see better the people who not only look like me, but who can tell a story, convey an idea. Filmmakers graciously spend some time with us allowing our curiosity to pour questions. I hear artists’ hearts in getting to converse with them, and see their hard-earned dreams come true on a big screen in a room filled with people.

And then I began to realize my mistake, student delegates are not the superfriends, the community is. The people that produce, sponsor, create, perform, participate are the lifeblood; people who love and cherish the art of stories recounted in video and sound (or lack thereof) make film and the film festival possible.

Sometimes a mistake is beautiful chaos. Set to that 30-years of “Stories to Light” CAAM film montage tune.

Chosen from a competitive pool of undergraduate and graduate students, the Student Delegates are a small but diverse group of students who undergo Festival “boot camp.” Guided by Festival staff, students participate in a rigorous schedule of film screenings, discussions, and exclusive meetings with filmmakers and special guests. The program aims to cultivate the next generation of filmmakers, activists, educators, and community leaders. See all of the 2012 Student Delegates here and their blog!

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