Author: Gracie Cole
This year, I was able to volunteer at NFFTY, or the National Film Festival for Talented Youth. The festival is held in Seattle, in a variety of locations such as SIFF Uptown and MoPOP, but attracts people from all around the country, leading to a wide variety of styles, ideas, and artists. The event is structured in blocks of screenings, workshops, and mingling parties, providing the filmmakers opportunities to connect and network.
While my volunteering just consisted of tracking attendance and running the merch table, I was fortunate enough to attend the screening block Memory Lane, which contained nine short films tackling the difficult subjects of memory, family, and loss. One of my favorites from this block was “When I See Roses I Think of You,” directed by Jordie Simpson, an SU alum who graduated in 2024. The film also won the Audience Pick award for the block. Another recent SU alum, Gabi Fedoroff, also had their film “The End of a Vase” accepted into the festival. Due to the proximity of the festival to campus, many SU film students submit their projects, contributing to the community aspect of the experience.
In addition to the two alums, Tahina Tomaszek, a current fourth-year student and President of the SU Filmmakers’ Club, had her film “Watching.” accepted and is encouraging other students to submit next year. Tomaszek was also NFFTY’s Programming Intern last year, so she is very familiar with the festival from both sides. I sat down with Tomaszek to learn more about the festival and what it meant to her as a filmmaker.
Photo courtesy of Tahina Tomaszek
Gracie Cole: Tell me about your experience at NFFTY and what it means to you to be up on the big screen.
Tahina Tomaszek: Oh my gosh. It was so surreal. I will say, seeing my film that took me two years in the making to, like, be fully satisfied with and then have it accepted into the festival and then see it up on the big screen was so amazing. I think it was equally nerve-racking as it was exciting. It’s kind of funny also seeing yourself blown up on a screen. I think that part is always kind of a trip to me, but it was a really great experience overall. I got a really great reaction from the crowd, which is exactly what I wanted.
Gracie Cole: What do you think is the value of film festivals and submitting? I know you’re encouraging people to submit.
Tahina Tomaszek: Film festivals in general, especially for younger filmmakers, are so important, one, to get recognition. I think it also helps because it kind of teaches us, as filmmakers, that your work can be admired, you do work hard, and your work will pay off. I also think it’s a boost of confidence because I feel like I had so many doubts [about] what I was doing in this path that I wanted to embark on, especially with my creativity, I think being able to experience this festival and being in it as a filmmaker, it was such a full circle moment of feeling accepted and just, again, admired for my work. It also taught me to be proud of what I was doing.
Gracie Cole: For the networking side, tell me how it was to be in an environment of students, peers, and people at your age that you look up to.
Tahina Tomaszek: I think it’s really amazing. I love festivals like this, especially national ones, because you get to meet people from all over the world, so many creative and just truly wonderful people. It’s also really interesting hearing their stories of, like, how it’s been for them, of what their creative journey has looked like at this young of an age. I would say networking-wise, it really helps because then you get to make these lifelong connections. Like, there’s people from last year that I got to meet that I’m still friends with, and I think it’s even better because you kind of take inspiration from these people, and as equally, they’re there to support and uplift you.
The 19th annual NFFTY film festival will be held in April, 2026. Until then, the Seattle University Film Festival, SUFF will take place on May 30. Applications are open until May 15.
Photo courtesy of @sufilmmakers on Instagram
Gracie Cole I KXSU Music & Arts Reporter