Drive-in film fest showcased student projects
An in-person movie experience is hard to come by these days. Enter the Cinematic Arts’ End of Semester Showcase at The University of Texas at Arlington—a drive-in movie night that featured short films produced by undergraduate and graduate students alike.
“Our students have worked very hard in the middle of the pandemic to complete these extraordinary films,” said art and art history Assistant Professor Daniel Garcia. “Being able to gather in a safe way to celebrate our students’ work is an extraordinary way to finish the semester.”
A large outdoor screen was set up in the parking lot between UTA Boulevard and West Nedderman Drive on UT Arlington’s campus, with audio available on FM radio. Masks were required for audience members and event planners outside of their cars.
“Filmmakers have always found ways to solve problems,” Garcia said. “Celebrating our work together in front of a large screen is a wonderful way to reaffirm the relentlessness and vocation of our students. Coming up with a safe option is just proof of the creativity and resilience of our UTA community.”
The semester projects yielded a diverse set of films, including a Victorian horror piece, a Western and a superhero origin story. There were live action, animated and documentary films. Titles included “Peaches,” “Yesterday I Hated You” and “The Haunting/The Ghost.”
“I told my students at the beginning of this semester: ‘You can see this as the worst time to be a filmmaker or the best time to be a filmmaker. If you can make a film during a pandemic, you will be able to make a film at any time,’” said Hien Dinh, UTA graduate teaching assistant.
Sierra Clark, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in cinematic arts, said the online classes this semester gave her much-needed flexibility for creating with her classmates.
“Filmmaking is a collaborative medium that can take an insane number of hours to accomplish, so seeing your film or a film you helped create on the big screen is a rewarding experience,” she said. “I felt really great this semester about creating visual stories that can entertain and enlighten audiences.”