The 10-10-10 Competition is a screenwriting and filmmaking mentorship program where 10 local high school students and 10 college students make 10 short films that are featured in the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. At this year’s 37th annual SBIFF, one current and two former City College students’ films were presented. 

Santiago Bailey-Musacchio 

“Billiam” (R)

Current City College student Santiago Bailey-Musacchio won the 10-10-10 filmmaking and screenwriting award among the high school finalists. Due to COVID, the student filmmaker was in high school when he began the process for this year’s competition, and is now attending City College. 

“I met so many people making this movie,” said Bailey-Musacchio. “All the people I know through [this experience] are gonna be so important in my career.” 

Bailey-Musacchio’s short film “Billiam” is about a young boy who goes through traumatic events at home and comes up with a coping mechanism in the form of an imaginary best friend. It soon comes to consume his life as he continues to block out the world into adulthood. Through the film, you are able to see the negative effects it has had on him and his life. 

“The people, that’s what the 10-10-10 is about,” he said.

Justin Usami

“Downsized” (PG-13)

Justin Usami was one of the two former students who took classes in the film department at City College. “Downsized” is about an employee at an investment firm who is tasked with firing another worker by the end of the day in order to save his own position in the wake of the 2008 housing crisis. “It’s like 12 Angry Men meets The Big Short,” he said.

Usami, who now attends UCSB, was a former co-president of the SBCC Film Community, a student-run organization that provides up-and-coming filmmakers with workshops and contacts in the local Santa Barbara area. 

“The film department there is awesome, I definitely had benefited a lot from their program,” Usami said. 

His film was one of the four college finalists at SBIFF. 

Usami said the most beneficial part of the 10-10-10 program was having the mentors guide him through the process. 

“The insight they give us, everything they contribute, experience-wise and tips,” he said. 

Mark Candore

“Dreams in Black and White” (PG)

Mark Candore was the second former City College student to be featured. Now at CSU Long Beach, this was Candore’s second time at the festival. 

He gave praise to fellow finalist and filmmaking winner Stephanie Marin for her short film “Her and I” and other finalists for “all the effort they put in.”
“The quality of films, The bar of excellence, has raised this year,” Candore said. 

He told The Channels that his film “Dreams in Black and White” focuses on the temporal nature of relationships. How the little things at the beginning of the relationship end up becoming bigger things and turn into an issue down the line.

Simply put as “a film about relationships,” Candore said he wanted to portray something that is more realistic.

“I spent two years at CC as a film production student. [My] biggest takeaway was meeting people and others dedicated to the craft of filmmaking. [It was] definitely one of the best programs that I know,” he said.