The Union Activities Board Film Committee hosts its fourth annual Pinwheel Film Festival Saturday.

Students directed and produced the majority of the films submitted. Nonetheless, the film festival is open to both the academic and public communities, allowing for students and the public alike to showcase and enjoy independent films for free.

According to Sonora Bostian, a junior in communication and UAB film committee chair, the fourth annual Pinwheel Film Festival appeals to all people, not only the artistic or creative community.

“It is important to showcase films for people who are trying to get their films off of the ground, especially student film makers who are wanting to showcase their films and show them to an audience,” Bostian said.

Bostian said she wanted to provide a venue for student filmmakers to show their films to others.

Ed Scanlan, a senior in psychology, who co-authored and produced Beyond Good and Evil, said the Pinwheel Film Festival allows rising film artists to grow and learn to navigate the film making business, the world of entertainment and the media.

“It’s good for business because it allows for young filmmakers to network, meet each other and create the contacts that are really important in the entertainment business,” Scanlan said. “It exposes you to other people’s ideas and broadens your horizons on film.”

According to Scanlan, the festival is a good way for students to get comfortable with themselves from “a creative standpoint and leadership role.”

Mark Eades, a senior in communication and a director in the film festival, said the festival gives film artists a chance to build their confidence in both creating and showcasing films.

“It’s very important because there haven’t been many creative outlets as far as being able to do things like make your own videos and things like that. If I didn’t have the Pinwheel then I wouldn’t really have the motivation to create a film,” Eades said. “All of the film makers are very different people and it’s just great to see what other people’s creative interests are.”

Eades said the festival will be a great opportunity for him to share his work with other people, and seeing other people’s work as well.

“I’ve seen a couple of films that are going to be in the film festival and they’re all extremely creative,” he said. “They all have got a unique tone to them.”

Bostian said the Pinwheel Film Festival is open to the public, as well as students, to draw larger audiences and more talent.

“We have such a diverse range of movies … something a little different for Campus Cinema, where we’re usually showing films that are from Hollywood or play in a big movie theater,” Bostian said. “You get to come see short films, a lot of them made by student filmmakers to cover a wide range of film types.”

The Pinwheel films average five minutes, the longest running about 20 minutes. Films will run at noon in the Campus Cinema in Witherspoon Student Center. The festival is open to anyone and estimated to run for three hours, including a 30 minute intermission.