Erik Hoofnagle and his team from WellSpring Community School take first place students' choice in the Guerilla Film Project for the second year in a row.

Erik Hoofnagle and his team have won top honors for the second year in a row in the Guerilla Film Project. The competition involves teams of high school students from all over the state of Washington, who take one weekend to produce a short film from start to finish. More than 20 teams competed in this year's competition. Erik Hoofnagle's five-student team won First Place Students' Choice honors for their film “Luck of the Draw”.

“The Guerilla Film Project is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Washington State High School students to show off their film making skills and see what their peers are doing,” says Guerilla Film Project Director Michele Siemion. “Teams of three to five students are given 65 hours to write, shoot and edit a three minute video short. They are given a specific theme and two props to use in creating their project. Their technical skills and creativity are judged by a panel of local film makers and by the students themselves.”

The theme used in this year's competition was “That's why they call it gambling” and the two props were a vacuum cleaner and panty hose. The Hoofnagle team made the only animated film in the competition. It was a three-minute stop-go animation using G. I. Joe action figures.

“It was a lot of work, said Erik. “My legs were killing me from all the kneeling and standing involved in the animation process.”

Erik hopes to go on and make films professionally. “It's the only thing I've ever dreamed of.”

First place winners received a copy of Pinnacle's Advanced Academic Toolkit editing program for their school and their project was screened at the Projections Awards Ceremony. First, second and third place winners received a trophy, cash prizes and unlimited bragging rights.

The Guerilla Film Project is a program of the Whatcom Film Association's Northwest Projections. For more information, visit: http://www.whatcomfilm.org/projections/.