More than 20 student film projects were presented at Columbia’s Capstone Production Salon on Tuesday, Sept. 15, giving students the opportunity to find projects to work on and connect with directors, producers and other filmmakers.
The School of Film and Television hosted the salon from 6 to 8 p.m. on the eighth floor of 1104 S. Wabash Ave. The event is held each semester to connect students with student film productions and give filmmakers a chance to recruit cast and crew.
There are “complex storylines and most casts seem to be pretty diverse,” said Allison VanMeerten, a junior film and television major. “A lot of the stories are action-filled.”
Amy Hernandez, a senior film and television major, was the co-writer of “The Wrong Way.”
Hernandez said her inspiration is “her dad. He also lost a brother in the military, and I think that these stories are really common, not just for Filipinos, but really all people of color.”
The film follows a middle-aged Filipino man as he revisits his teen years. He explores his relationship with his father and brother and his relationship with violence and intimacy, as a man from a marginalized community.
“I think this story is really important to tell,” Hernandez said. “When I was looking for reference photos, I found maybe three photos total of brown-skinned people to represent the story I wanted to tell.”
Senior film and television major Ava Rudorf was the director and casting director of “The Calling.”
“‘The Calling’ is about a young girl who is in the process of grieving her grandmother, but instead of actually dealing with her emotions, she is pushing them to the side,” Rudorf said. “Because she is avoiding them, she ends up haunted by the ghosts of her past.”
The girl is then forced to overcome her emotions, which leads into the theme of overcoming grief and paying attention to emotions.
“Our writer was inspired by the death of her own grandmother,” Ruford said.
Roxy Rowland, junior film and television major, said Capstone Salon is a place where students can network with other filmmakers.
“I can actually talk to people and get on some films,” Rowland said. “This is better than anything I thought it could have been.”
Another Capstone Production Salon will be held Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. on the eighth floor of the 1104 S. Wabash building.
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