A cultural event this past week allowed student documentary filmmakers the chance to show off their hard work and dedication.

The four-day Reality Bytes film festival for documentary shorts kicked off Tuesday night and ends tonight with the announcement of the Best of Genre and Best of the Fest.

Guest speakers NIU alumnus Wil Hernandez, Robert Katz and Bill Weinman spoke Thursday night about production, editing and direction in the movie business.

Weinman began his career years ago by editing 30-second commercial pieces for a South American television company. This led to various jobs in the industry, including the second unit director position for the Fox sitcom "Parker Lewis Can't Lose."

Katz, known for his production work on "One Hour Photo," explained to the audience the dedication needed to work in big-time entertainment.

"You need to be flexible," Katz said, while he was working with a student through a scenario.

The biographical/autobiographical entries were screened Tuesday night, along with two of the best student films from last year.

Some of the more notable films on Tuesday were "Labor of Love" and "DeKalb Solitaire."

Jerry Bryant, the founder of JBTV, was the subject of the film "Labor of Love." JBTV, founded in 1986 by Bryant, is an independent music video TV station based out of Chicago. Bryant refers to his job as a "labor of love," meaning that the work is difficult, but worthwhile.

The artsy silent film "DeKalb Solitaire" was shot throughout the United States, with the filmmakers journeying to as far as California to film some beautiful images from across the nation. "DeKalb Solitaire" was mainly set to the music of The Beatles and it features some shots taken in DeKalb.

Wednesday night had many standout historical and social documentaries, which included "Our House," "Save Them! The life of Paul Rader, Christian Radio Pioneer" and "Anna & Bill."

"Our House" is a documentary of Chicago's underground rave scene. It showed a different angle of Chicago's rave sub-culture. The documentary explains why ravers indulge themselves into this commonly frowned upon scene and how a few people can ruin the scene for all.

"It had good camera work, good editing, it reflected the hectic and fast-paced nature of the culture," junior English major Matt Rathwell said.

"Save Them! The Life of Paul Rader" is about the life of an almost forgotten great man. Rader was a Christian radio pioneer who used radio to reach the masses. Having great character and an uncommon care for people, Rader was the spiritual leader for many.

Communication professor Jeffrey Chown was impressed with the film.

"It was the most professional student film I've ever seen," he said. "It opens up a part of Chicago radio history that people don't know about these days."

The film fest wraps up tonight with the awards ceremonies, a guest speaker, a reception and final screenings of the winning movies.