Justin Topp, a Chico local and film student, has been offered a unique opportunity to attend the Cannes Film Festival and is reaching out to his hometown community for donations to help make this dream possible.
With the help of the American Pavilion Student Outreach Program, Topp will travel to Cannes, France for the Cannes Film Festival – one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, featuring films from visionary filmmakers auctioned off to studios for release in theaters in the upcoming year.
Topp will be required to work for four hours each day, helping the festival run with jobs such as service or janitorial. But after those four hours he plans to spend his time networking.
The festival will have industry professionals from actors and directors to producers and studio managers gathering to see — and sometimes bid — on the next biggest films for the year.
After the four hours of work, he can attend the festival with an all-access pass, allowing him to see the films, or attend workshops and panels.
Topp’s relationship to film was cultivated at the movie theaters with his grandfather as a kid. After his grandfather passed away Topp became determined to see his own name in the credit roll of a movie – a tribute to his grandfather.
He began his filmmaking journey at Pleasant Valley High School in a program called House of Blue where Topp had the opportunity to film events such as weddings. He later expanded on the skills he gained from the program and worked for several media companies across varying roles.
After high school, Topp went to Butte College to study film and business administration. He continued to hone his skills and work events, creating a strong portfolio to later get him into school for film.
He now attends Cal State Northridge in Los Angeles studying cinematography. He misses the small-town feel, but is thankful for the opportunities present in LA.
Along with school, Topp is working for Red Rock entertainment, making actor reels for clients and doing video editing.
He plans to return to Chico in December to raise money for attending the Cannes Film Festival. Topp has already raised $1,250 but is still short of his goal to attend the Cannes Film Festival. To donate to his GoFundMe, click here.
Chris Hutton can be reached at [email protected].
