Five Wartburg students are about to get the red carpet treatment.

“David’s List,” a 30-minute film created last May term by communication arts students, will be exhibited at the 2013 Cedar Rapids International Film Festival. The film, which follows a group of college students working to fulfill a deceased friend’s college bucket list, was one of 30 to receive Official Selection status.

“David’s List” will compete for the Gold and Silver Eddy awards and the Audience Choice and Iowa Connection Eddys at the festival with two public screenings at the Collins Road Theatres in Marion Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6.

The awards will be presented at a Saturday night ceremony. The festival is open to the public.

“It is an incredible honor,” said Simon Sager, a sophomore from Forest City. “We put so much time and energy into the film, and it is so awesome to know that other people enjoy the end result as much as we enjoyed making it.”

Sager served as a writer, producer and director of the film along with classmates Ben Hoppenworth, senior, Waterloo; Bethany McAtee, junior, Coggin; Danny Housholder, junior, West Des Moines; and Justin Szykowny, junior, Palos Heights, Ill.

The students created the film as part of a 2012 course taught by Travis Bockenstedt, lecturer in communication arts. Other Wartburg students, faculty and staff starred in the film.

“Each of us brought something unique to the table and it definitely took all of our skills to make the film a success,” Sager said. “I think we owe a lot of our success to the chemistry of the filmmaking team and, of course, our adviser, Travis Bockenstedt.”

The film, which premiered May 22, 2012, at the Waverly Palace Theater, received an Upper Midwest Regional Student Production award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences — Upper Midwest Chapter.

“Making ‘David’s List’ is an experience I will never forget,” Sager said. “There is so much beauty and creativity that goes into filmmaking and I feel so blessed that I had the opportunity to make this short film with such a great team and experience the magic of making movies for myself.”