The University Film Organization is hosting screenings of the winning films from the 2003 NextFrame International Festival of Student Film and Video this week.

The films will be shown from 8 to 10 p.m. today and Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Gish Film Theatre and the Bowen-Thompson Student Union Theater, respectively. These screenings are free and open to the public.

The films shown will vary in nature, according to UFO President Jay Ellison.

“The screenings will cover documentaries, experimentals, narratives and animated films,” Ellison said.

In addition to hosting the festival, UFO will hold two workshops designed for those interested in studying film.

The first workshop will focus on digital filmmaking and Adobe AfterEffects. Alex Gabrielsen, video production instructor and media specialist, will be conducting the workshop, which will take place tomorrow from 3 to 5 p.m in the Gish Film Theatre.

The second workshop, which will be held Thursday from 1 to 3:30 p.m., will discuss the use of technology in filmmaking and the current studio film system. It will be conducted by Kevin Cooper, executive producer of Digital Domain, the multiple Academy Award winning visual effects studio.

“As technology improves, there is a new day dawning in the world of filmmaking,” Cooper said. “With digital technology, sophisticated entertainment can be produced by anyone with a computer, some software and a passion for art and communication.”

Cooper, a native of Toledo, has been involved in the making of films such as “Men of Honor,” “Someone Like You” and “Armageddon.”

“I hope that I can inspire people about an inspiring industry, as well as give them practical information about Hollywood and its trends,” Cooper said.< P> Ellison hopes the events held by UFO this week will be useful to film students.

“[The week’s events] set the standard for what we should be doing,” he said.

For more information about UFO and the week’s events, visit UFO’s website at http://www.bgsu.edu/studentlife/organizations/film.