Award will help student filmmaker complete final film project

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A. Sue Weisler

Lindsay Berkebile, third-year film and animation major and inaugural winner of X-Factor Filmmakers Award

Lindsay Berkebile is writing her thesis film script about a baker who lives in a make-believe world and creates fantastical cakes.

Berkebile’s script will come to life on screen thanks in part to supplemental funding from the X-Factor Filmmakers Award. Berkebile, a third-year film and animation major, is the award’s inaugural recipient. Actress Pat Carroll presented the award to Berkebile at a May 14 ceremony as part of the Rochester High Falls International Film Festival.

“When I found out I won, I was in shock,” says Berkebile. “I just checked my bank account and was stressing about how I was going to pay for the making of my thesis film. This will help a great deal.”

Berkebile’s thesis film will be live action using stop-motion animation and pixilation effects.

One of Berkebile’s fellow students, fourth-year film and animation major Lauren Tracy, created the X-Factor Filmmakers Award Fund along with her father, Rick Tracy, a Boston-area graphic designer. The father-daughter team launched the X-Factor Filmmakers Web site, to sell T-shirts created especially for the award fund.

“This only marks the beginning of the X-Factor Filmmakers Award,” says Lauren Tracy. “Congratulations to Lindsay for being the first recipient of this award. I know Lindsay will put the funds to good use and I look forward to seeing her completed film.”

Lauren Tracy created the fund to help young women like Berkebile who have tremendous talent, but not the financial resources to make headway in the film industry.

The sale of each shirt combined with monies from supporters of the Rochester High Falls International Film Festival yielded a total award of $1,800.

“We were pleased to see great work from all the award applicants,” says Catherine Wyler, Rochester High Falls International Film Festival artistic director. “Lindsay’s goals and artistry though really stood out. We’re pleased to work with the X-Factor Filmmakers Fund in helping to supplement Lindsay’s thesis project. Lindsay is at the beginning of a very promising career.”