Doko Film Fest organizers Andrew Smith and his father Raymond Smith, owners of Modus Media.
BLYTHEWOOD – Two-time Oscar winner Michelle Eisenreich will be returning home to Blythewood this weekend as a judge, presenter and patron of the inaugural Doko Film Fest on April 26 and 27.
Michelle Eisenrich with her latest Oscar.
The festival, produced by local film maker Raymond Smith and his son Andrew, is the first of its kind in South Carolina and is dedicated to developing the skills, knowledge and confidence of young filmmakers in the state and beyond.
Eisenreich, the visual effects producer for film company Double Negative in Vancouver, and her team won their second Oscar in February for their work on the film, ‘First Man.’ Her team also won an Oscar last year for ‘Blade Runner 2049.’
As a result of her success on ‘First Man,’ Eisenreich has been asked to pull together and oversee a new TV division for her company.
“We just finished work on Star Trek Discovery for CBS, which is in its second season, and we’re currently working on a couple of projects for Netflix and Amazon,” Eisenreicht said.
“I would have loved to be involved with something like the Film Fest when I was growing up,” she said.
Eisenreich will be honored with a reception at Doko Manor on Friday, April 26 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. There will also be a silent auction featuring a knife signed by James Jude Courtney aka Michael Myers of Halloween as well as live jazz music, drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres.
Screenings of selected films made entirely by high schoolers will be held all day Saturday, April 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Westwood High School.
Throughout the day, there will be master classes held by Eisenreich and other video professionals on tips and tricks needed to produce winning and engaging films. There will also be representatives from the University of South Carolina and Savannah College of Art and Design speaking about their media arts and film courses. At the end of the day, awards will be announced in their respective categories as well as best in show.
Venues
The Friday night reception will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Doko Manor, 100 Alvina Hagood Circle, Blythewood.
The film festival screenings and master classes will be held on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Westwood High School, 180 Turkey Farm Road, Blythewood.
Tickets range from $5 – $20 and can be purchased at www.dokofilmfest.com.
