This week on The Coachella Valley Art Scene we are very excited to introduce to you some of the upcoming visionaries and artists from the surrounding Coachella Valley High Schools and Middle Schools who will be featuring their latest projects in the Palm Springs Student Short Film Festival tonight (April 28th) at 7:30pm and on Saturday (April 20th) at 9:00am.

We took a moment to chat it up with Jamie Bergey and ask her a few questions about what she has submitted to the film festival this year. We are really looking forward to checking out Jamie’s work as we are pretty sure she is a newbie to the festival (correct us if we are wrong). Based upon her knowledge of good film director and liking for sappy love films… we think we are going to really dig her work!

Make sure to check out Jamie, amongst many other of her peers, tonight (and Saturday night) at the Camelot Theaters in Palm Springs! There is where you will be able to follow the young artists’ creative careers from their first projects out. So fun!

So… without further ado… I present…. Jamie Bergey…

INTERVIEW: Jamie Bergey

featured student filmmaker at the Palm Springs Student Film Festival 2011

Name: Jamie Bergey

Age: 16

What school do you go to?

Twentynine Palms High School

Tell me a little bit about your film. What’s the synopsis?

The proprietor of an antiques store has a magical hat that, when worn, replaces the wearer’s personality with that of the previous wearer. The antiques store owner uses this hat to wreak havoc on her customers.

What inspired you to create such a film?

The idea actually came from my father. My parents and I were touring the town of Idyllwild and we passed one of its many curio shops, and he was exploring a sci-fi vein when he threw out the idea of magic hat that was influenced by being tried on by so many people.

How long did it take to produce?

Who helped you make it happen (cast members, film crew, etc.)?

I made the film at the Idyllwild Arts summer film program over the course of three weeks; it was all incredibly colaborative. The first week focused on writing, with brainstorming workshops and frequent suggestions from the instructors. The second week was spent filming, with all of the students acting as crew. The third week was editing, with my fantastic editor putting the final film together. I was helped every step of the way, learning from and supported by not only the instructors but also the students.

What did you enjoy the most about making your own Short Film?

I learned so much. I had made other films in the past, but none of them hold a candle to Fedora technically — they were all very amateur. The program at Idyllwild actually had professional-grade equipment and instructors, which was nothing short of amazing.

Top 5 films?

I’m a big fan of sappy romance, so please bear with me. (1) Garden State. (2) Heart and Souls. (3) Say Anything. (4) Amelie. (5) Anastasia. They may not be critically acclaimed or award-winning, but they make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, so I stand by them.

Top 5 film makers?

That’s a toughie. As far as my personal taste, they’re pretty random and obscure. But historically speaking: Cecil B. DeMille, Orson Welles, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron. Whether or not you like their films, they changed the industry.

Do you see yourself pursuing a career in film making? Got any projects in the works?

I do! I really want to study film in college and make it into a career. I have several ideas bouncing around in my head, but I don’t have any film projects in progress at present. I am active in my high school’s drama club — I am currently in rehearsals for our annual Shakespeare production, and I have been asked to direct the annual murder mystery dinner theatre in the fall.

Do you specialize in film, or do you do other kinds of art/hobbies too? If so, what are your other passions?

I’ve always liked creative things. I mostly pursue acting and film, but I also dabble in graphic design.

Where can we find you on the web?

I’m on facebook and twitter, but neither are really kept up. On facebook, I’m just under my name as written above, but on twitter I’m @eggman_james. I think.

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Jamie’s latest work will be featured at the Palm Springs Student Film Festival 2011: