An in-person movie experience is hard to come by these days. Enter the Cinematic Arts’ End of Semester Showcase at UTA—a drive-in movie night that featured short films produced by undergraduate and graduate students alike.
“Our students worked very hard in the middle of the pandemic to complete these extraordinary films,” says art and art history Assistant Professor Daniel Garcia. “Being able to gather in a safe way to celebrate our students’ work was 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 campus, with audio available on FM radio. A diverse set of live-action, animated, and documentary films was featured, including a Victorian horror piece, a Western, and a superhero origin story.
“Filmmakers have always found ways to solve problems,” says Dr. Garcia. “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.”
Sierra Clark, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in cinematic arts, says the pandemic didn’t get in the way of her and her classmates’ efforts to create enlightening and entertaining visual stories.
“Filmmaking is a collaborative medium that can take an insane number of hours to accomplish,” she says, “so seeing your film or a film you helped create on the big screen is a rewarding experience.”
