Someday, a couple of talented filmmakers from Rye Neck High School may be heading to the Sundance or Tribeca Film festivals, and their proud community will undoubtedly boast, “We knew them when.” After all, sophomores Maxwell Denenberg and Jack Lynch placed second in the Greenwich Youth Film Festival on April 28.

 

 

 

By Janice Llanes Fabry

 

Someday, a couple of talented filmmakers from Rye Neck High School may be heading to the Sundance or Tribeca Film festivals, and their proud community will undoubtedly boast, “We knew them when.” After all, sophomores Maxwell Denenberg and Jack Lynch placed second in the Greenwich Youth Film Festival on April 28.

 

“We tried to make a meaningful, yet fun film about two teens obsessed with video games and texting until they find a portal that leads them to living in the real world,” explained Denenberg, who edits all their films, which can be viewed at TVMaxwell on YouTube.

 

No small event, the festival screened the documentaries, music videos, animated shorts, and creative films of 180 students from Westchester and Fairfield counties, and had renowned director Ron Howard as one of its judges. After narrowing it down to 35 finalists in each category, the festival awarded Denenberg and Lynch’s five-minute film, “Stones”, the second spot in the creative category.

 

“Max and Jack have a true passion for making films and an appreciation for the medium,” said their Rye Neck video production teacher David Golden. “What makes them talented and successful is their ability to appeal to their audience by making films that are socially important, while being entertaining and humorous. They are also very dedicated to their work and are willing to try new and innovative techniques.”

 

Buddies since pre-school, the two students have been collaborating since they were in the fourth grade. “We think of the same exact ideas sometimes and bounce off each other,” said Lynch. Although they started making films just for fun, their hobby led them from a camera with a 30-second video function to their current Canon EOS Rebel T3i, perfect for videographers, who direct, produce, and act in their own films. Having acquired quite a following, the young filmmakers’ award-winning film, along with their vast collection of short films, already has thousands of hits on YouTube.