Local stories bring to life the rich culture and heritage of the Northern Nevada region. This fall, students in Kari Barber’s Documentary Filmmaking class in the University of Nevada, Reno’s Reynolds School of Journalism unearthed some of those stories. 

On Thursday, December 9, the class will present the 2021 Documentary Film Festival, featuring four short documentaries. The event, which begins at 6 p.m., will be held in person at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center Wells Fargo Auditorium and on Zoom. It is free and open to the public, and interested individuals can register to attend on Eventbrite. 

Students worked in small teams for 15 weeks to plan, script, film, edit and present each short documentary film – a process that can take professional filmmakers years to complete. The films tell a variety of unique stories that represent local businesses, events and culture.

“Piconland” is the story of the quest for the traditional Basque drink of Nevada. “The Playa” explores the history and future of Northern Nevada’s globally famous Burning Man festival. “Import Empire” is about a local business owner and his quest to bring international anime culture to Reno. “El Alma de México” illuminates the rich and vibrant choreography and works of art from a local immigrant director. 

“Northern Nevada has so many exciting and unique stories,” Barber, an associate professor of electronic media in the Reynolds School, said. “I love the ideas the students have come up with this year; I think they really showcase how special our region is.”

Interested individuals can learn more and register to attend on the 2021 Student Documentary Film Festival website.