Pens to Lens

a project of Champaign Movie Makers

Awards and Screenings

Wrap-up of the 2014 Gala

We are so pleased at the success of the 2nd Annual Pens to Lens Gala! Thank you to everyone who contributed to the films and posters, thank you to our hosts Joe Barlow and Charlie Hester, thank you to the Champaign Park District and the Virginia Theatre, and most of all, thank you to all of the kids who shared their wonderful stories with us.

This year’s films and posters are now online! Click here to take a look.

And just a reminder that we do have a limited number of DVDs available for purchase. They are $10 each plus $3 shipping. Click the “Buy Now” button below to purchase yours! (Teachers! If you would like a free copy for your classroom, please contact us at info@penstolens.com.)





2nd Annual Pens to Lens Gala

The Champaign-Urbana Film Society’s Second Annual Pens to Lens Gala will be held on Aug. 9, 2014 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign. A red carpet event beginning at 1pm will lead into two blocks of film screenings. Films produced from scripts written by K-7th grade students will premiere at 2pm and films made from scripts by older students will begin at 6pm. A filmmaker talkback will follow each block.

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Tickets will be available for purchase starting at 10am on July 18 on the Virginia Theatre’s website and at the box office. Tickets will be $8 for each block, or $12 for a festival pass, and tickets for students 19 and under will be free.

Over 150 scripts were submitted for this year’s Pens to Lens Student Screenwriting Competition. Of those scripts, 22 films have been produced by members of the Champaign-Movie Makers (CMM). In addition, nearly 60 scripts were adapted as movie posters by members of the Champaign-Urbana Design Organization (CUDO) and will be on display.

Films shown during the first block are suitable for all ages. Films in the second block marked with an asterisk (*) contain brief moments of violence that may be inappropriate for young children. More information about the content in these films can be found at penstolens.com/content-guide/

Full schedule, including the film lineup:

1pm – Red Carpet Event

2pm – K-7th Grade Films:

The Adventures of Mr. Pancake
A Visit from the Tooth Fairy
Who Babysits Zombies?
The Taming of the Beast
The Sorceress
Double-O Kevin
Guys Go Green
Fast and Furious 8
Watch Out for Butterflies
The Goo Party
The Dummy vs. The Mad Robots
Race You to Russia

5pm – CUDO Gallery Show

6pm – 8-12th Grade Films:

Mr. Snuggles
The Doughnut Dance
The Time Will Come
The Brain Storm
My Imagination Became a Ninja and It’s Following Me
*Chances
The Bedtime Story
*Zack and the Mountain Man
*The Runner
Imagine

Pens to Lens started in 2013 as an opportunity for K-12 students to get involved with the local filmmaking community. Last year, nine original short films and 57 movie posters were produced based off scripts from over 120 screenplay submissions. The films and posters premiered to a standing-room only crowd at a red carpet gala at the Art Theater Co-Op.

2013 Pens To Lens Awards and Screening Gala

The gala was the evening of Wednesday, May 29th, 2013, and was a huge success!  The community turned out in force to support the kids; the Art Theater was packed to capacity.  We’re looking forward to another roaring success next year!  Watch this page (and follow the CU Film Society on Facebook) for more info as it becomes available!

Screenplays Chosen for Films in 2013

  • “The Devil Uses Purell” by Ella G.Cassie trades the devil her soul for a hamburger but the devil makes a big fuss over it because it’s not clean so Sammi and Danielle have to save Cassie from herself.
  • “Dinner Party Antics” by Aly
    Jim and Jenna are waiting outside of Jim’s cousin, Dave’s home and are reminiscing of prior “Dinner Parties.”
  • “Even and Odd” by Iona H.
    Ivy and her dog Idris are invited into a parallel world by her unconscious self to help finish a quest.
  • “Fluffystein” by three students from Next Generation School
    A little girl’s beloved toy bunny goes missing and is used for malicious purposes.
  • “Into The Mine” by Blake P. and Logan L.
    Two boys are ready to mine, but someone’s watching them and they don’t know who.
  • “Super Duper Low” by Quinn
    Super Quinn teaches Mr. Machine about diabetes during their fight.
  • “Susan and Daisy’s Adventure: Episode I” by Beatrice, Catherine, David, Dennis, Jonathan, Reuben, & Saewoong
    Two poor people need money to get a house so they catch an eel.
  • “Tunnel To Greenland” by Ruth C.
    A young girl and boy try to dig a tunnel to Greenland to see snow and ice during the summertime.
  • “Unexpected Trip” by three students from Urbana High School
    The story is about a Mexican family that experiences poverty and immigration problems as they come to the U.S.A.; it is based on a true story and it talks about the lives of illegal immigrants and what they go through.