Festivals Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Media Arts Alum Oscar Jiménez Finds Meaning, Story in Cinematography

Martha Duzett — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 20:22:45 +0000

Jiménez recently received a Student Heritage Award from the American Society of Cinematographers and saw his work screened at Sundance When a young Oscar Jiménez looked ahead to potential education and career paths, none of them placed him behind a camera. He certainly didn’t envision his college years taking him to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, nor in his wildest dreams did he imagine himself accepting an award from the American Society of Cinematographers — he didn’t even initially see himself at BYU. “In high school, I was convinced I was going to go to culinary school,” said Jiménez. “After I was baptized, my bishop told me about BYU — I didn’t know anything about BYU or Utah — and I decided to come to school here for marketing. I hadn’t even considered the arts, but after my mission I took a film class as an elective. I thought it would be easy, but instead it was heavy on theory and analysis. It was cool to see that there was a class dedicated to thinking critically about media.” Though drawn to film — and specifically camerawork — Jiménez didn’t feel that he was ready to jump into the media arts major. He took a year off from school to learn basic technical skills by working on local sets and watching tutorials on YouTube. “I took a lot of really lousy pictures, but eventually I started figuring out how to make the camera work for me rather than the opposite,” said Jiménez. “I was just absorbing information like a sponge. By the time I applied and heard back from the media arts program, I had made up my mind that I wanted to be a cinematographer.” Despite his emphasis on the technical side of filmmaking, Jiménez continued to resonate with the thoughtful and contextual approach to film that he found in the Department of Theatre and Media Arts. “In retrospect, the more theoretical stuff was huge for me in becoming a better storyteller,” he said. “Cinematography isn’t just about pretty pictures; it’s about telling a cohesive story through images. Now I’m putting more thought into everything I do — I can tell you why I chose a wide angle or why this lens or that lighting.” Read the full story at the Department of Theatre and Media Arts website.

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BYU Music Professor Works with Alum to Give Centennial Middle School Band a Festival Experience

Martha Duzett — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 19:27:39 +0000

Centennial Middle School band director Peter Werner reached out to his former professor Don Peterson after the cancellation of the State Junior High Band Festival After preparing throughout the last year, the band students of Centennial Middle School in Provo were finally at the State Junior High Band Festival. But at the close of the first day — the night before the band was scheduled to perform — the festival was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. “As the students came to get their instruments from their band lockers to take home to practice in preparation for the next day, I broke the bad news to them,” said band director Peter Werner, a School of Music alum and assistant director of the BYU Cougar Marching Band. “They were devastated, some even leaving in tears. They had worked extremely hard all year to perform at the festival, and now the opportunity was being taken from them.” But Werner wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. As most schools in the state — including Centennial — were still open and functioning relatively normally at this point in time, Werner decided that he would give the band a mock-festival experience on their home turf. He reached out to his former professor Don Peterson — who was himself waiting on word regarding BYU’s response to the pandemic and the immediate future of the School of Music — for help. “I was in multiple bands with Dr. Peterson while in school and have had continued contact with him; I knew that he would love to help if he was available,” said Werner. “Amazingly, he answered back quite quickly and agreed to come. I was so excited. Performing at the festival is a great honor, but more importantly a great venue for the students and myself to learn how to become better musicians. I knew that Dr. Peterson could help us do just that.” Werner’s students came dressed up and ready to play. They would record their performance and receive feedback from Peterson, who would serve as adjudicator. “I went in and listened to them rehearse a little while before they even knew I was there,” said Peterson, who serves as director of bands at BYU. “It was just so rewarding to see them so focused and working so hard. You could tell they were disappointed, but they played so well. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing students reach their potential in music. You can see it and feel it in their performance.” Read the full story at the School of Music website.

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Changemaker Film Festival Winner ‘Cassidy: Surviving In Nine Short Films’ Explores Life After Trauma

Anelise Leishman — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 15:50:22 +0000

Director Hannah Hughes and producer Nico Sanchez reflected the subject’s experiences through the structure of the film For her documentary capstone project, media arts student Hannah Hughes highlighted an issue close to home. Before selecting her topic, she began working on Utah County’s Rape Crisis Team, and during training met rape survivor and fellow advocacy worker Cassidy Jensen Combs. “We became friends, and she asked if I’d be interested in helping her and her husband Tanner put together some resources for survivors,” said Hughes. “I did it the way that I know how — through documentary.” The result was “Cassidy: Surviving in Nine Short Films,” a collaboration of student filmmakers advised by faculty Brad Barber and Amy Jensen. In addition to support from the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, the film team received funds from the college’s Film and Digital Media Fund (FDMF). Cassidy, a BYU Law School graduate, was raped while she was a student. The documentary explores different aspects of her life post-rape, including her life at home, alone, at school and in her advocacy work as her case is going to trial. Director of photography Leesie Clegg came up with the idea to present the documentary in the form of nine short films — a mosaic to show the depth of Cassidy’s character and the fragmented nature of life after sexual assault. “Dealing with rape or trauma is really nonlinear,” said Hughes. “There are times when Cassidy is feeling peaceful, and then an hour later, she’ll be crying for hours. We wanted the documentary to feel as jarring as her life feels.” Making the film was an emotional undertaking for the entire team, but they felt the importance of making Cassidy’s story heard. “I want to be able to make films to help people better understand each other,” said producer Nico Sanchez. “One of the biggest benefits to documentary filmmaking is giving a voice to the voiceless.” Read the full story at the Department of Theatre and Media Arts website.

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Sundance 2020: The Killing of Two Lovers superbly crafted story about troubled marriage in tiny rural town

admin — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 20:00:59 +0000

The town portrayed in the Sundance premiere of The Killing of Two Lovers is so small that David, who is staying at his father’s home while he and Nikki try to figure out if their marriage is salvageable, easily can see everything going on in the lives of his wife and four kids in the home just down the street. Directed by Robert Machoian, a photography program faculty member at Brigham Young University in Provo, this feature-length narrative offers a superbly crafted, beautifully filmed story about how the difficulties of asking for space to sort things out in a marriage are magnified enormously in a town as small as the one the director chose for the film’s production. Selected for the festival’s NEXT category, the film shines in performances that capture the simmering tensions and spoken words that could derail any good faith intention of reconciling problems in a marriage. And, Machoian – with an impressive, understated, elegant choice of mise-en-scène – gives the viewer the utter irony of the notion of asking for space in a small central Utah town set against an impressive mountain range (although there is no card title specifying the location). The film was supported by the Utah Film Commission. Read the full story by Les Roka at theutahreview.com.

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BYU Professor’s Full-Length Film Accepted to Sundance Film Festival

admin — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 17:59:20 +0000

Robert Machoian Graham has seen four of his past films make it to Sundance. The latest marks the first time one of his full-length films has been accepted. Even though the first semester in 2020 is less than a month old, one BYU professor won’t be teaching or holding office hours this week. Instead, Robert Machoian Graham will be 45 miles north of Provo in Park City to watch the debut of his first full-length feature debut at the Sundance Film Festival. The festival received 15,100 submissions this year (a record high), including 3,853 feature-length films. Graham’s film, “The Killing of Two Lovers” is one of only 118 accepted feature-length films, representing 27 countries. “There is such a low percentage of submissions that get accepted,” Graham said. “If you get one in, it’s like you’ve been validated. It’s really exciting.” But Graham, a photography professor at BYU, is no stranger to the Sundance Film Festival. “The Killing of Two Lovers” marks his fifth accepted film to the prestigious festival. In addition to being accepted and shown at last year’s event, his short film “THE MINORS” also won a Special Jury Award for Directing. Read the full story by Aaron Sorenson at news.byu.edu.

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Media Arts Grad Billy Knowles Takes Lessons Learned at BYU to USC

Martha Duzett — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 17:29:58 +0000

As a history major working toward law school, Billy Knowles never imagined that he would graduate from BYU as a media arts major headed to USC’s School of Cinematic Arts — one of the most prestigious and competitive film schools in the country. Knowles took Introduction to Film from media arts professor Tom Russell at the encouragement of a friend, rekindling an interest in moviemaking that had developed in his childhood and teen years. Both Knowles’ teaching assistant and Russell recommended that he apply to the media arts program, a daunting prospect that required a leap of faith. “I was pretty nervous,” Knowles said. “I knew that the program was difficult to get into, and I didn’t want to have to switch majors. I thought, ‘If I get in, I’m going to take it as a sign that this is what I should pursue for now.’ Since then there’s been more and more affirmations that this is the road I need to be on.” One such affirmation was his decision to emphasize in directing — again at the recommendation of Russell — after heading up a documentary crew in Nepal. “It just felt right,” said Knowles. “I loved working with my crew, and I loved the idea of telling stories about people who need their stories told.” Read the full story at the Department of Theatre and Media Arts website.

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OFF THE MAP: EVERY BRILLIANT THING

Bailey Fruit — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 19:24:49 +0000

“Heart-wrenching, hilarious…possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see.” The Guardian You’re six years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s “done something stupid.” She finds it hard to be happy. So you start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything that’s worth living for. You leave it on her pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling. Soon, the list will take on a life of its own. This sold-out hit of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a new play about depression and the lengths we will go to for those we love. Based on true and untrue stories. Every Brilliant Thing is supported by Anne McMeehan and Jim Roberts and was developed with the support of nabokov and the Jersey Arts Trust. OFF THE MAP is generously supported by the BYU Mary Lou Fulton Endowment in Theatre and Media Arts. Approximately 60 minutes

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Final Cut Film Festival to Feature Best Student-Made Films Oct. 13-14

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 10:35:22 +0000

The BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts and BYU Student Film Association present Final Cut, the student-produced, student-created film festival on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 13-14, in the Harris Fine Arts Center. Final Cut showcases a collection of the best student-made fiction films, documentaries, commercials, animations and more. The festival includes two programs labeled Program A and Program B, which feature different film selections. Both programs will be shown once each evening of the festival at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Separate tickets are required for admission to each program screening and are discounted for BYU students. Immediately following the final screening on Friday, Oct. 14, an awards ceremony will take place, with prizes for best entries in categories including fiction, non-fiction, commercials, animation and the audience favorite. Past Final Cut films can be viewed at studentfilms.byu.edu. Writer: Preston Williamson See more photos. >>>>>> Dates & Times: Program A: Oct 13, 7 p.m. & Oct 14, 9 p.m. Program B: Oct 13, 9 p.m. & Oct 14, 7 p.m. Location: Pardoe Theater, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $4-5 Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com

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Media Arts student wins Best Emerging Director at film festival

Hailey Stevens — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 00:37:57 +0000

Media Arts student Willem Kampenhout won Best Emerging Director at the Other Worlds Austin Film Festival for his film The Surface. The film also won Best Emerging Production Design, attributed to Ashley Cook. Kampenhout started making films when he was only six years old and used his personal experience growing up as the inspiration for The Surface. In December of 2013 he spent winter break watching several crime drama series, which sparked the question, “How much would one risk on behalf of their family?” “I began writing the story of a mother wandering the apocalyptic wasteland in search for spare parts for her cybernetic husband and daughter whilst avoiding a mechanically mutated monster,” Kampenhout said. From this, he developed the story of a mother who risks everything to save the life of her son. The film follows the mother as she searches for a new power source to help her dying son. After being tricked into buying a bad power cell, her only hope is to venture to the blighted surface and steal the infinity cell from one of the monstrous “tainted” creatures. The whole film came together in about two years from start to finish. Kampenhout mentioned the greatest difficulty behind creating a film was being a student and working with other students. “We have obligations other than our projects,” Kampenhout said. “Because it is not an income source, we have jobs as well.” Other than a lack of time, they faced a lack of experience that required more time to produce quality work. Despite these challenges, Kampenhout enjoyed working with other talented and eager students who worked on the music, sound design, art, cinematography and acting. He believes that real joy comes when someone other than oneself gets behind the story and makes it better. They entered the film in Other Worlds Austin, a film festival featuring only Sci Fi films, where he won the award. The Surface also won Best Student Film at the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival and has currently been accepted into Dam Short Film Festival (Nevada), Original Narrative FIlm Festival (Dubai) and Film Quest (Salt Lake City). “We are building an audience for the film, and seeking out distribution and investors to fund a feature film version of it,” he said. Visit the film’s Facebook page for the trailer and updates about the film. https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfaceFilm

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Final Cut Film Festival features Student Films, Oct. 22-23

Riley Oliphant — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 22:28:33 +0000

The BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts and the BYU Student Film Association present the Fall 2015 Final Cut Film Festival in the Pardoe Theater, Harris Fine Arts Center, on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets are $5,with discounts available for students, and can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com. The BYU Final Cut Film Festival is a student-produced, student-created film festival. The festival will screen a collection of the best student-made fiction films, documentaries, commercials, animations and more. The purpose of this festival is to encourage students to create and watch meaningful and creative media. Festival submissions are open to all current BYU students. Two programs, each about 75 minutes long, will be screened each night, with an awards ceremony after the last screening on Friday. Program A: Thursday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 9 p.m. Program B: Thursday, Oct. 22, 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.

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