Many on-campus events are limited to certain colleges, organizations or clubs. However, one event this spring aims to give all students an opportunity to test their creativity.

The second annual Black Squirrel Flix Fest, hosted by CCI Commons, takes place on April 25 in Nixson Hall. It is a film festival that allows students to submit their own independent works. Submissions can be anything from school projects to amateur productions. Event coordinators pick which films will be seen at the festival.

The submissions are divided into different categories. Program Coordinator Marianne Warzinski said some from last year included music video, documentary, short fiction and animation. She and other event planners added a new category this year to include more freshmen.

Warzinski explained that last year, mostly upperclassmen participated. This time around, CCI Commons teamed up with First Year Experience to include a new category for freshmen to submit a documentary of their college experience thus far.

“Our angle this year is to try to get freshmen involved,” Warzinski said. “A project like this gives students an opportunity to meet people in their college.”

Warzinski said the goal of the category is to let freshmen share an experience that’s important to them, whether it’s serious, funny or even put to music.

Terri Capellman, director of First Year Experience, said she was pleased that freshmen were finally given this opportunity. Capellman explained that other colleges already offer this outlet to newcomers.

“This is a really popular trend in first year experience,” Capellman said.

Capellman said that the festival would allow freshmen to present a “real and uncut” glimpse of their college lives, and additionally provide “real feedback” to the program.

“Students have been really receptive,” she said. “It’ll be a learning process for both them and us. It’s a fun exercise, (and) it’s going to be very interesting.”

Students interested in participating should submit films on either DVD or miniDV, and limit works to 15 minutes or fewer. Submissions are due by April 13, and all participants will be notified as to whether their film makes it to the festival.

Warzinski said that CCI Commons will present prizes to those with the best films.

“We’re still working on the types of awards,” she said.

For more information, contact Marianne Warzinski at [email protected] or Terri Capellman at [email protected].

Contact on-campus entertainment reporter Joe Shearer at [email protected].