At Emerge, students learn film business ‘by seeing it in action’
Nicole Danser 鈥�15, a student at the USC School of Cinematic Arts who screened a film at the Emerge Film Festival, talks Thursday with students in 鈥淔ilm Festivals and Digital Video Production,鈥� a Short Term course taught by Assistant Professor of Rhetoric Jonathan Cavallero (right). The class is part of a formidable 乐播传媒 volunteer posse supporting the festival. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
The here in Lewiston-Auburn kicked off Thursday and runs through Sunday, and this year 乐播传媒 is one of the principal sponsors.
So what’s that mean?
Well, like much of 乐播传媒’ engagement with our community, the college’s sponsorship of this fast-growing festival is a two-way street lined with people and partnerships.
鈥淥ur film students will learn the business by seeing it in action.”
For example, Assistant Professor of Rhetoric Jonathan Cavallero sits on the Emerge board of directors, and he鈥檚 integrated his Short Term course, 鈥淔ilm Festivals and Digital Video Production,鈥� into this year鈥檚 event.
Cavallero鈥檚 17 students join 15 other 乐播传媒 students to form a formidable volunteer posse for Emerge.
鈥淥ur film students will learn the business by seeing it in action. That鈥檚 invaluable,鈥� he says. Festival experience will also 鈥渉elp to remove barriers to their entry into the business鈥� while letting them see 鈥渢he variety that exists鈥� in the film world.
Wiebke von Carolsfeld, the lead instructor of a Short Term filmmaking course, screens her film Stay, starring Aidan Quinn and Taylor Schilling, on Saturday at the festival.
The students have gotten to see work by one of their own, too.
Emerging filmmaker Nicole Danser 鈥�15, now a student the USC School of Cinematic Arts, spoke to Cavallero’s class on Thursday and screened her short film Good Art on Friday in Schaeffer Theatre.
Another 乐播传媒 connection at the festival is Wiebke von Carolsfeld, the lead instructor of 鈥淔ilmmaking, The Creative Process,鈥� one of the innovative, practitioner-taught courses offered during Short Term.
She’s showing her film Stay, starring Aidan Quinn and Taylor Schilling, at 3:45 p.m. Saturday in Schaeffer.
Besides working the festival, Cavallero鈥檚 students will break into four groups tasked with creating a documentary film that could help Emerge learn more about its identity and rapid growth.
One 乐播传媒 group will explore the college鈥檚 growing connection to Emerge, 鈥渨hat it is, what it could be, what that could mean for students,鈥� Cavallero says.
The three other groups will do educational outreach in local high schools; examine the interests and needs of Maine filmmakers 惫颈蝉-脿-惫颈蝉 Emerge; and look at how the festival audiences react to and embrace the festival and its films.
Now in its third year, Emerge will screen 40 films selected from some 2,300 submissions from 42 U.S. states and more than 100 countries.
The festival鈥檚 other film venues are the college鈥檚 Olin Arts Center, the Community Little Theatre in Auburn, and the Franco Center鈥檚 Performance Hall and Heritage Hall in Lewiston.
