Reality Bytes, a student documentary film festival, will make its 8th annual debut tonight at the House Café.

Hosted by the Department of Communication, the festival will showcase documentaries made by communication graduate students from NIU and around the country.

Laura Vazquez, associate professor of communication and festival director, said she added a film to the festival that is timely with the recent events at NIU.

Entitled “Brad the Bear,” the documentary was filmed by a communication graduate student who attempted suicide last year. The student filmed his hospitalization at the behavior and mental health ward of Kishwaukee Community Hospital.

“It is the story of a student who is having psychological and emotional problems, and our response or lack of response to those problems as a community, as a society, as a faculty,” Vazquez said.

Joshua Wille, communication graduate student, said he convinced Brad to record his stay with a cheap inexpensive camera Wille smuggled into the hospital.

Wille said the project gave Brad some focus, and he kept working on it even after his release.

“He tried to put his life back together. He had doctor appointments and medications,” Wille said. “It became a struggle for him, but he kept working on it.”

Because of the camera, the video and sound is of poor quality. However, Wille and Andrew McCormick, communication graduate student, said they embraced that aspect of the video.

“Brad the Bear” is only one of 18 films that were submitted for the festival.

“Speed Limit 120: The First Skydive,” submitted by David Hill of University of Georgia, documents four individuals’ first attempt at skydiving.

“Eyes of the Storm,” submitted by Danny Bourque of University of New Orleans shows the experiences of newspaper photographers in New Orleans just after Hurricane Katrina.

Reality Bytes will be shown at the House Café on from 9 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, and then in Room 100 of Jack Arends Hall from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is free, and free candy will be available at all screenings. T-shirts are $10.

Open discussions will follow the Friday and Saturday screening. On Saturday, awards will be presented to the winning documentaries. Best of Festival winner will receive $200 and Avid video editing software; second place will receive $150; third place will receive $100.

Vazquez said Marcus Leshock, a film critic for Metromix and CLTV and NIU alumnus, will present the awards.

Wednesday at The House Cafe, 9-11 p.m.

“F— Art!” – Sarah Kim, NIU

“Turbo’d” – Sebastien Austin, Virginia Wesleyan College

“Eight Wheel Drive” – Bryan Perry, University of Georgia

“The Patch” – Nate George, University of Iowa

“Stars of Ohio” – Lindsay Byrne, California Institute of the Arts

Friday at the NIU Art Building, Room 100, 7-9 p.m.

“A People Thing” – Molly Smith, Florida State University

“With Liberty the WM3” – Jennifer Rayphole & Jennifer Likeum, NIU

“Blowing Smoke” – Will Kaufman, Rowan University

“Bone Diggers” – Adam Ford, NIU

“Beneath the Surface” – Phil Ridgway, Chris Kelly, & Susan Carlson, NIU

“Rink of Fire” – Paul Foster, Rowan University

Saturday at the NIU Art Building, Room 100, 7-9 p.m.

“Brad the Bear” – Andrew McCormick & Joshua Wille, NIU

“Derby Girls” – Mike Copeland, Sarah Cruz, Laura Clements, & Jessica Veseskis, Florida State University

“Loose Change in Nicholls, Georgia” – Michael Barile, Florida State University

“Speed Limit 120: The First Skydive” – David Hill, University of Georgia

“When I was 19” – Mike Copeland, Sarah Cruz, Laura Clements, & Jessica Veseskis, Florida State University

“Eyes of the Storm” – Danny Bourque, University of New Orleans

“Shelter or: Ode to a Materialistic World” – Andrew McCormick & Fernando Rivera, NIU