The work of student filmmakers was put on display at the Student Film Showcase, held on Thursday, April 30, at 7 p.m. in the Putnam Theater. The showcase highlighted a total of 22 films, many of them projects from classes across the film curriculum. Films ranged in runtime from 30 seconds to 11 minutes, and ended with a reception and Q&A with the filmmakers.
The showcase ended off the Film Department’s 2026 Film Fest, preceded by the Critical Studies Conference and the Capstone Film Fest.
Film Professor Taylor Dunne, who coordinated this year’s showcase, said the purpose of the event was to highlight the work of all students in the department.
“It’s just a celebration,” Dunne said. “It’s really fun to see what’s made in other classes, and it encourages students to make work.”
“It just gets them excited about what their cohort of students are doing,” she added. “They’re really excited when their film is included, they feel validated.”
Dunne said she was happy with the event’s turnout.
“It was a great turnout,” she said. “A lot of people came–not just film majors, but a lot of people’s families and friends.”
Dunne said that one of her favorite parts of hosting the showcase was getting to hear from the students.
“Getting all the students together and watching them talk about making the work, and just seeing how much fun they had and how proud they are of the work,” she said.
First-year Jake Bemis created the film “This Is All Your Fault,” a story about “a man struggling with the grief caused by the sudden and preventable death of his friend while being stalked by a monster,” according to Bemis.
Bemis said that “This Is All Your Fault” was submitted to the showcase by his professor.
“I think that the showcase is a great way of getting students who might not be as loud about their filmmaking as others get recognition for the work that they do,” he said.
Bemis said that the most difficult scenes to film for his project involved a TV in the woods.
“It was freezing and slightly raining out and we were filming there for around two hours,” he said.
Bemis said that he would do the showcase again “in a heartbeat.”
“Making movies is something I really enjoy, and I’m very glad to have the opportunity to share my work with a large crowd,” he said.
Senior film major Hayley Townsend, who attended the showcase, said that she was impressed with the films shown.
“I thought that the underclassmen are extremely promising and talented,” she said. “I can’t wait to see and hear about their work in the future.”
Townsend said her favorite film of the showcase was “The Price of Plush,” a film that talked about the effect of tariffs on stuffed toy company Douglas.
“I thought it was very well done and has a really interesting story,” she said.
Emily Sloane can be contacted at
esloane@kscequinox.com
