For some high school students, summers consist of laying out at the pool and sleeping all day. For two Westside sophomores, Elias Ginsberg and Costen Bishop, this was not the case. The pair went to Malibu, California to attend the U.S. Performing Arts Camp. Here, the camp members split into groups and had a week to create a short film. Ginsberg had written the script prior to attending the camp so their group, including Bishop, spent three days filming and three days editing the short film.

After completing Listen, a short film about a drug dealer, the group decided to submit their film to the International Student Film Festival in Hollywood. Out of 19 countries around the world, only 74 films were selected. Listen was one of them.

“It was an honor just for our film to be selected,” Ginsberg said.

Bishop reflects on how the film making process was not always easy.

“The process of making our film was difficult in some areas like brainstorming what areas we will shoot at or editing in post production for the final project,” Bishop said.

“The hardest part was working with people you had just met, to learn everyone’s work habits and strengths when it comes to filming,” Ginsberg said. “But by the end of two weeks we were like family.”

The film festival will take place Oct. 26-27 at Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn in the NoHo Arts District of North Hollywood. There, all participants will be able to view screenings of the other films selected as well as watch actor Hector Elizondo receive the International Student Film Festival Hollywood Lifetime Achievement award. The festival is open to the public.

“I am looking forward to seeing my other group members and I am excited to see how our film does in this festival,” Bishop said.