On Sept. 30, a total of 120 mysterious, red backpacks containing video cameras were distributed, free of charge, to students that lined up in the main lobby of the Cesar Chavez Student Center. The aspiring filmmakers were then set loose on a mission to make the greatest movie of their lives.

While free services to create a film are a dream come true for most producers, there is a catch. Students participating in the Campus MovieFest will have to boil their skills of producing, shooting and editing into a five-minute, Cannes-worthy masterpiece -- with only one week to get the job done.

"There are no guidelines except that the film has to be less than five minutes and is due Wednesday," said Matt Shreve, the CMF tour manager. "CMF is a great outlet for students because it's wide open to their creative freedom."

The Campus MovieFest is the world's largest student film festival, providing the next generation of filmmakers with all of the equipment, training and support they need to make a short film.

This year, more than 75,000 students from 50 different campuses are vying for prizes ranging from $20,000 in cash grants, laptops, Final Cut Studio software, iPods and AT&T phones, as well as trips to top film festivals around the world.

Available to SF State students for the first time this year, the turnout at the Associated Students, Inc.-sponsored event surprised even its organizers.

"We had 96 teams sign up online," said Horace Montgomery, ASI's leadership development coordinator. "That's a record for a first-time campus."

Alone or in groups, the students walked up to the CMF booth to borrow an Apple laptop loaded with software such as iMovie and Final Cut Studio, Panasonic high definition cameras, AT&T Samsung handsets, a microphone and a tripod. At the end of the week students were required to return all borrowed equipment in order to continue with the project.

"A lot of students don't have the experience or the equipment to shoot a film until after they graduate. The advantage here is that even lower classmen have complete access to an enhanced learning experience," said ASI Performing Arts Director Muata Kenyatta. "We are here to fill in the cracks of what's happening on the other side of the academic house."

Regardless of experience, class standing or major, CMF gives all students the chance to sit in the producer's chair. The top 16 movies will be screened at the SF State finale on Oct. 20. The "Best Picture," '"Best Drama," and "Best Comedy" picks will move on to the Western Regional Finale in San Francisco.

"I always wanted to be a producer, but ended up as a business major," said freshman Valentina Aleksandrova, who was one of the first in line at the CMF booth. "This is a chance that I never thought I'd get."

"The best part is that they're giving us free equipment," Aleksandrova added.

Now in its ninth year, CMF began at Emory University when four students asked what would happen if students received laptops and cameras and were given a week to make a movie.

"The inspiration for CMF came from four friends who were thinking of a resident hall activity," Shreve said. "It blew up from there. We got a lot of attention and have partners who help us out."

Working with corporate partners such as AT&T, Apple and Panasonic, as well as many participating universities, the vision of CMF's co-founders Dan Costa and David Roemer, as well as those who carry on their work, is to empower students by creating a free platform to showcase their skills and creativity.

"ASI foots the bill. All we're asking is for students to participate," Montgomery said. "Our goal is to create and bring back a student life."

According to ASI President Natalie Franklin, the $3,000 that it cost to put on the event came from ASI's annual budget.

"The most excitement comes from the fact that it's completely free to students," Franklin said. "Students appreciate it because of the budget cuts and scarce resources. It's really all about promoting the arts."

Students were generally pleased that ASI was working to maintain an enjoyable campus life, despite the University's budget woes.

"I feel like the campus is committed to students, even with the budget cuts," said junior Leticia Morris, who transferred to SF State this semester.

"This is our initiative to take care of the students that are here," Montgomery said. "Through the furloughs, fee hikes and budget cuts -- we are taking care of our campus community."