For such a down-to-earth idea, PRAXIS has a stupidly pretentious name. Generally used with heavy left overtones, ‘praxis’ refers to the question of how the hell academics can take a high-fluting theory like marxism and turn it in to some concrete political practice in the here and now. An apparently random name for a short film screening.

But then that is kind of the aim. Most Cambridge students tend to be very good at talking big and doing not a lot. Massively over-developed critical vocabularies rarely match up to a record of actually making anything creative. In general, Cambridge students are good at dissecting, mediocre at making - particularly when it comes to film.

This is where PRAXIS jumps in. PRAXIS is all about taking those grand theories, those private fantasies of great films to be, and turning them in to some actual film-making.

The model comes from looking at something creative which Cambridge students are quite good at: theatre. Why do so many Cambridge students get involved in the theatre scene? The answer might be quite simple. 

In a university which gives most undergraduates eight weeks of deadlines before kicking them out for the vacation, who the hell has time to make a film? On the other hand, give them a brief, a deadline, a pseudo-professional ‘title’ (“director”, “producer”, “technical director”... whatever) a venue and a definite finish date, somehow making theatre becomes a priority.

So what is PRAXIS then? Well... a deadline, and a brief.

The deadline is Midnight 2nd December, the brief is to make a video response to ‘Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key’ by Billy Bragg and Wilco (you can’t use it as a soundtrack). The last two screenings asked entrants to respond to a poem and a painting: Yeats’ The Cat and The Moon and Brueghel’s The Blind Leading the Blind). Over 40 people turned up for both screenings, ate some popcorn, and watched some videos.

Film-making in Cambridge is surging. Cinecam is back from life-support, and is in the process of shooting its first ‘Flagship Short’. The newly-founded ‘Cambridge University Televisual Arts Group’ (whatever the hell that means...) is getting in some wicked speakers and running some lively writer's groups. Now that videos can be made on most smart-phones and editing software downloaded for free off the internet, there’s no reason why film-making in Cambridge shouldn’t get as big as theatre. 

University is a time to build CVs and portfolios. But it’s also the only time when you can screw something up massively without having to worry (whether you want a career in the arts or not). Of the eleven PRAXIS films made last year, about half were made by people who had never made films before. Two were made on phones, one was made in MS Paint. In the next few days, why not try something new? Why not make a film? Failing that, come along on Wednesday 4th at 8pm, drink some wine, eat some popcorn, watch some videos.

Deadline for Entries: Midnight Monday 2nd December

Screening: 8pm, Wednesday 4th December Judith E Wilson Drama Studio, West Road

Since this article was published, Varsity has been told that this term's screening has been cancelled. All submissions will roll over to next term.