Also being shown are "Chicken Chasers," "The Chapman School Mystery" "Nikolaevsk Life," "The Cheeto Thief" and any last-minute entries. Student filmmakers wishing to show their films can call organizers Mindy Hunter or Stephanie Zuniga at Fireweed Academy, 235-9728.

A similar festival, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Quest Film Festival, takes place in Soldotna and is for students in Quest, a program for students who need enrichment beyond the regular classroom. Although many of the lower peninsula films came from Quest students, the festival is open to anybody.

Seldovia's film challenged the students in different ways, said fifth and sixth-grade teacher Holly Alston. Some wanted to write the script while others wanted to be operating the camera.

"It gives everybody a chance to do something that highlights their interests and skills," Alston said.

Set in the school during an average day that turns out to be more than average, "The Normal Day" involved the whole classroom. Hunter got picked to play a substitute teacher, Miss Ittybittybottom, who's really mean to the students. There's a chase, a monster and well, Alston didn't want to give away too much.

"It's a humorous production," she said.

More serious films include "Nikolaevsk Life," a documentary by Nikolaevsk School students Nianiella Dorval and Blake Klaich about their lives in the Russian Old Believer community. Filmmaker Kevin Co helped the students with the editing, Hunter said.

Hunter has been helping students edit and produce their films. They use videocameras and a computer editing program called Windows Moviemaker. Because Seldovia didn't have that program, Alston said students could only edit when Hunter brought the program over on her computer. They tried out film techniques like slow motion, and added music and credits. Stick around for the credits, because the film includes outtakes and bloopers.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michaelarmstrong.@homernews.com.