Here’s news of a novel competition from the Annual Buster Keaton Celebration:

The 16th Annual Buster Keaton Celebration, to be held September 26th & 27th, 2008 in Iola, Kansas, would like to announce its first annual Student Presentation Competition. The winner will receive a spot on the schedule of respected film and cultural authorities who are asked to
take part in the celebration each year and will receive a travel grant of $500 to facilitate his/her attendance. The student presenter will be expected to present a 30- to 40-minute presentation to the Celebration audience in PowerPoint format (with images either still or moving) and so
must be able to attend the conference as scheduled.

Eligibility: Full-time matriculated Undergraduate and Masters students at any point in their academic career, not affiliated with any employee or volunteer of the Buster Keaton Celebration, the Kansas Humanities Council or the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.

Required:
1. Applicants must complete an application to Frank Scheide or by sending a letter to Susan Raines, Bowlus Fine Arts Center, 205 East Madison, Iola, KS 66749-0705). Proof of current matriculation will be required as part of this application.

2. Applicants must submit their complete 30- to 40- minute presentation script for committee review, along with the above application, by the due date of May 1, 2008 along with images to be used in the final PowerPoint document. The applicant must also present evidence that images he or she wishes to use are available and in the applicant’s possession. Scripts must be typed and double-spaced (they may be in essay format, marked with indications as to what images will be utilized where in the presentation). Please do not submit the final PowerPoint demonstration.

To learn more about this year’s topic, please read the essay “Buster Keaton and Will Rogers: American Comic Heroes”, which can be found by visiting the Buster Keaton Celebration web site at http://iolakeatoncelebration.org. Committee members will be looking for original approaches to this topic and are especially interested in papers linking the two performers in some manner.

The Celebration Student Presenter committee will choose one winner and one runner-up, who will serve as an alternate. An announcement of the winner will be made by June 1st. The winner will have until June 30th to accept or decline the award. He or she will then have until July 31st to make his/her travel arrangements (assistance with this task will be provided by a committee volunteer). The winner will receive a spot on the schedule and a stipend of $200 and travel expenses up to $300 (airfare or mileage) to facilitate his/her attendance. Lodging and a daily food allowance will be provided by the Buster Keaton Celebration from Thursday evening, September 25th, through breakfast on Sunday, September 28th.

The chosen Student Presenter will be assigned a Celebration volunteer to assist with any and all parts of the actual presentation process, during the two days of the festival, in order to make the experience a successful and rewarding one for the studentand for the Celebration attendees!

Now how about a festival of PowerPoint one day? It’s the magic lantern de nos jours.