On Friday, Tamarac, known as the campus’s outdoor hub, is getting creative.

The Tamarac Outdoor Film Festival has been a part of Whitman since the induction of Tamarac as a residence, according to sophomore Simon Pendleton.

“We do it every year in the spring as our own little event,” he said.

The festival last year garnered considerable interest, nearly filling Olin 130.   The submissions rolled in from Tamarac residents, their friends and film enthusiasts.

“The films spanned a variety of styles, qualities, lengths and takes on the outdoors, outdoor recreation, and what it means to be outdoorsy,” said junior Tamarac resident Lauren Flynn.

Some films from last year were humorous.   She cited junior Theo Barnhart’s film about boating in the snow and juniors Jack Straus and Warren McDermott’s piece on “man shenanigans.”   Other films channeled the intensity of rock climbing at night or cyclo-cross.

The Tamarac Outdoor Film Festival yearly generates many submissions involving outdoor sports.   But there are also films that reach beyond the realm of the outdoors.

Pendleton recalls a hilarious “Into the Wild” parody in the festival last year.

The movie was made by “The Pit Girls,” of the previous year and was directed by junior Obreanna McReynolds.   According to Flynn, this group of young enthusiasts is “infamous for their movie skillage.”

Their “skillage” paid off as they carried home the grand prize.

So far Pendleton has received three submissions for the festival this year, all ski movies.   He also knows of a couple in the works.
“They’re all pretty exciting,” he said.

Though Pendleton is the Tamarac resident who received the submissions, he insists that the Film Festival is “a collective organization” involving a number of the students living in Tamarac

To entice the Whitman community to submit films, Tamarac is offering prizes for standout films.

Pendleton promises a great and entertaining show on Thursday.

“Everyone should drop by Thursday and watch some really sweet movies,” he said.

The Tamarac Film Festival will take place Thursday night at 8 p.m. in Olin 130.