The cast and crew of “The Hard Part,” winner of Faculty and Audience Choice awards, during the Lee University Film Festival
Lee University’s Cinema program hosted its 15th annual Film Festival, an event for students to screen and present their short films to an audience of students, faculty, and community guests. Seven films were selected for screening at the festival.
“This year’s festival was another successful celebration of student creativity and storytelling,” said Matthew Fisher, professor of cinema. “The teams involved helped make this one of the most elegant events yet. The Dixon Center lobby was transformed into a stylish, cinema-themed space, featuring posters for each film and a red carpet with a step-and-repeat backdrop for photo opportunities.”
Lee Cinema organized the event with the support from the Office of Student Connections and Engagement and Campus Events. The evening was hosted by David Steinmetz and Dursun Asik, Lee students and members of the on-campus Shenanigans improv team.
"The Hard Part,” directed by Jack Anderson and produced by Sean Walker, won both awards of the evening. The film received the Faculty Choice Award, presented by Communication Arts faculty and staff in recognition of its excellence in collaboration, creativity, and storytelling, as well as the Audience Choice Award, given to the film that received the most votes from the audience.
The story follows a young man driven to pursue his dream of musical theatre. His father, who lives a tough, hardworking life, believes his son should give up his passion and continue in the family business.
“When you put so many people who love filmmaking with every fiber of their being on one set, you can’t help but make a great film,” said Mr. Anderson. “It couldn’t have been done without them, and they all mean the world to me. This story is a message that you should never let anyone or anything come between you and your dreams.”
Other films screened include “Tide the Knot,” “Writer’s Block,” “The Wolf,” “Peltzer,” “Thursday Night,” and “Scars.”
Students were invited to submit any film they had produced in the past year. Each submitted film was screened by a panel of faculty judges who chose which films to feature in the festival.
For more information about Lee’s cinema program, visit leeucinema.com.