Senior Sarah Williams presented her film “Starfish” at the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival over spring break.

Williams wrote and directed “Starfish,” a film about the strained relationship between an autistic boy with a fish obsession and his single mother. She spoke on stage about her film, which was then presented at the festival.

The Los Angeles International Film Festival featured over 40 short films and animations from all around the world. The festival displayed these films at a variety of locations in Southern California, including the Anaheim convention center, where “Starfish” was shown.

“Th[is] experience was amazing because not only was I able to give insights in to my own film, but I was able to hear from other young filmmakers from schools like USC and Chapman who are making great things,” Williams said. “Being there and seeing what others are making felt like I was being offered a glimpse into the future of the film industry, and that was extremely exciting to me.”

After her film screened, Williams participated in a brief Q & A session about her film. “Starfish” has been accepted to numerous other festivals, including the Calabasas Film Festival, the Garden State film festival in New Jersey, and the Screentest Student Festival in the United Kingdom. 

Film teacher Monica Hoenig believes Williams’ achievements will open the doors for Viewpoint students in the future.

“This is a tremendous source of pride and happiness,” Hoenig said. “It’s an incredible reflection on her as a filmmaker and on Viewpoint’s film department.”